Something More
by Sedgehammer
Summary: Jak and Daxter's friendship takes a turn when Krew cons them into competing in a racing tournament in Kras City.  Jak x HumanDax.      NOTE:  I added some smut to each chapter starting with 2. Now matches the version at AFFnet.
1. Krew

**AN: **This is my first fic, so it's probably not going to be the most impressive thing you've ever seen. I should warn you that it will include some slash. If you really don't like that sort of thing, you should turn back now before I gross you out. If you've recently played Jak X, you'll notice that I use some small bits of dialogue from the actual game, and if you watch the first few cut scenes, you'll see what I mean. It definitely deviates from what you'll see in the game, though. This is what the plot of Jak X could have turned into if it were a boy's love romance between the two main characters. Also! This is dedicated to my friend and fellow author, sillynekorobs. You should check out her work if you haven't already, because it rocks.

**Disclaimer**: I don't claim to own these characters, and I certainly don't profit from them.

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Jak hummed a tune to himself as he stepped out of the shower. He dried off, wrapped a towel around his waist, and began drying his green-blonde hair. He allowed the white towel to fall around his shoulders and rest on his neck.

He whistled. "Wheeeew, I can't remember the last time we had clean towels, eh Dax?"

No reply came.

"Dax?"

Damn it! Here they were, in the middle of an unfamiliar town run entirely by racing gangs, and Dax snuck off by himself. "I told him we could get something to eat _after_ my shower! Damn it, Dax."

Jak ran for his communicator and called the only other person who might know where Dax went.

"Hey, Daxxie! Oh, it's just you, Jak. What d'ya need?"

"Tess, hi, have you heard from Daxter at all today? I just got out of the shower and he's missing."

"Ah. No, I haven't, honey. Dax has been a little distant since I changed back to my old self and he didn't. I think the precursors were just joking around, I mean, it only lasted for 24 hours, and I think Daxter was disappointed that I was a little relieved to go back. I mean, I didn't _really_ ask to be change—"

"Okay, okay—I get the idea. So he hasn't called you? Where do you think he'd be?"

"Maybe he went to check out the local bars, his "competition" so to speak." Jak rolled his eyes at the realization that she was probably right. "You go get him, honey, and tell him his Tessykins said 'hello' for me, will ya?"

"Thanks Tess."

"Oh and Jak?"

"What?"

"For precursors' sakes, put a shirt on!" With that, she hung up.

As Jak hurried to get dressed, he vaguely wished his pants were a little less tight, but after a glance in the mirror, he quickly dismissed the thought. (A/N: Even HE thinks he's sexy.) The soon-to-be racer grabbed his keys and darted out to his car.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

"So there we were—wheel to wheel with the nastiest racing cars I've ever seen!"

It was only their second night in Kras City and Daxter was already telling stories to a bunch of strangers at a bar. The owners might have been annoyed, but Dax spilled his drink out of excitement often enough to work up a monumental tab (which he would never get around to paying, but there's no way they could have known that). Razor approached, smoking a cigarette. What with the way he dressed, the man looked a little out of place in this bar, but that didn't make a difference. He took an interest in Daxter's story—for the time being.

"Jak was barely able to handle himself, but with my help WE TOOK 'EM ALL OUT! Until only ONE was left—"

"Really? You know, people in zis town have a vay of getting IN over zeir heads. Like at ze bottom of zee OCEAN."

"Easy boys… My story's almost over." Dax backed away slowly across the counter he was standing on, although the large aquarium directly behind it left him feeling a little cornered.

"Yes it IS!" Razor hissed before twirling his knife in a threatening manner.

Right as Orange Lightning was about to high tail it out of there, he caught a shift in Razor's expression. He could hear the sound of an engine roaring outside, and it was getting louder by the second. Time seemed to slow down as Dax looked up to see the bottom of his best friend's car floating above his head, and a sea of glass rained down on the bar, causing Razor and his friends to scatter. Jak slid to a stop, and Daxter was relieved (albeit shocked) to see his friend with the green goatee. Before he could move, Razor chucked his knife at the ottsel, causing both Jak and Orange Lightning to stop breathing for a second.

"Dax, get in the car!"

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

After they were safe and back on the road, Jak spoke. "I told you not to go out. We're getting death threats, Dax. Someone doesn't want us here."

"But Jaaaaaak!"

"No buts, Dax. I was legitimately worried about you. One of these days, you're really gonna get in over your head."

"So I hear…" Dax slunk down to sit on the right side of Jak's seat, between his best friend and the door. He leaned into Jak's hip and sighed.

"Hey, it's alright. I got there in time, didn't I?" Jak smiled down at his orange friend. Dax grinned and jumped to his feet.

"Nah, I was just about to show 'em who's boss!" He brought his left foot forward to rest on Jak's leg and batted at the air a little bit. Refreshed, the ottsel took a seat on Jak's thigh. Seconds later, he threw his arms up behind his head and laid down across Jak's lap. Dax looked up at his best friend, who looked down between his arms (which were still firmly attached to the wheel) as Orange Lightning professed, "Thanks for savin' me all the time, big guy. Ya deserve a little appreciation." Jak just smiled and then returned his eyes to the road. Daxter dozed off and took a nap as Jak drove them to the reading of Krew's will—which should have been the first and last stop of the Demolition Duo's tour of Kras City.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

As he pulled into the driveway, Jak scooped Daxter up and plopped him on his shoulder. The ottsel yawned and stretched his arms out wide. Jak got out of the car and locked up while Dax sheepishly began to open his eyes. Neither of them noticed their friends approach.

"Hey, Jak." There was no mistaking that scratchy voice.

"Torn. Where's Ashelin?" Jak vaguely recalled her mentioning that she and Torn had started living together.

"I'm right here. Doesn't anyone know how to open a door? I am a lady, you know."

"Sheesh, what's got HER panties in a wad?" Daxter finally chimed in.

"Excuse me? I didn't come here to be—"

"She's right. Jak, silence the rat before I do it for you." Jak couldn't tell if Torn really hated his best friend or if Ashelin just had him that whipped.

"Sorry about that, sweetheart." He really was just that whipped.

"Look, I just want to get this over with and go home. Something's not right about this place." Ashelin was stressed out, which wasn't an uncommon mood for her to be in, but Jak knew what she meant. He never imagined a place worse than Haven. Kras City made Sandover seem like a long-forgotten dream. At least Dax held his tongue, because there's no way Jak would let Torn lay a finger on his best friend, even if Dax started it.

Jak was the first to start walking toward the building. He couldn't help but find it ironic that he might have been included in the will of a man he pretty much killed.

"I wonder what the old tub of lard has in store for us, eh Jak?" Dax was talking again. "I mean, we busted our asses for him, remember? Call it worker's compensation!" Jak just smiled and kept walking.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

Keira was already there when they entered the room. Jak found a seat across from Ashelin and Torn, and Dax took up a spot on top of the large conference table they were all sitting around. The room was cold. Everything inside looked expensive, so it was no surprise that they had central air. Still, the noticeable absence of warmth and pressure made Jak that much more aware that his best friend just spent the past half-hour cuddling, nuzzling, breathing, occasionally even tossing and turning—against his groin. Jak blushed at the realization, and no matter how much he didn't want it to, the thought caused something to stir in his pants.

_Precursors! I am NOT sitting here with a hard-on for my best friend! My orange and FURRY best friend! Dax would kill me if he knew. No, I would DIE if he ever found out. _Jak was too busy trying to hide his arousal to pay attention to the others' conversation, so he didn't even notice Krew's daughter enter the room.

"Thank you for coming to Kras City. It looks like some didn't make it. Ah, well… I'm Rayne."

She was pretty. Dax all but fainted at the sight of her. Jak decided that she probably got it from her mother and worried himself with trying to tuck his chair even further under the table. She further introduced herself, placed the disc that contained her father's will onto the table, and poured each of them a drink from a special bottle of vintage wine (per Krew's request). Dax tossed his head back and downed the drink immediately. Jak eyed his glass wearily. _As if I'm not messed up enough already without adding alcohol to the mix…_

The racer sighed and drank it down. Anything to get his mind off his little problem under the table.

Rayne dimmed the lights and began playing the message Krew had recorded before he died, just for this occasion. It was simple. He welcomed the group and started talking about the fact that he was dead. It was a clever idea, really.

_Maybe Jak and I should record a message for OUR will-reading. _Dax thought. _Precursors know there must be hundreds a guys lookin' to tan OUR hides._

_I wonder what he wanted to tell us, anyway. _Jak mused. Apparently neither of the boys were really listening.

"I want to fuel the greatest racing team Kras City has ever known!" Krew bellowed as an image of the man floated excitedly around the room.

_What the he—_

"You are the best of the best, and you will race for ME." Krew commanded.

"Forget it!" Jak leaped from his chair. Fortunately, the image of Krew was all he needed to turn himself off. Now he was just plain angry.

"NO WAY!" Dax added to the mix.

"I expect you're all riled up by now, so let me tell you WHY you will race—and you WILL WIN!" Krew somehow had as much presence in death as he did when he was alive, but Jak wasn't any less tired of being ordered around. The green-blonde ball of anger returned to his chair and waited to find out what sort of mess Krew had gotten them all into.

"If all went as planned, you just gave a touching toast in my honor. I'm sorry to say, but I put POISON in that special vintage! Quite unsportly of me, really."

"FATHER!" Rayne appeared to be shocked, but no one knew if they could trust her. She drank the poison, too.

Dax couldn't handle anymore shocks, and this time he really did faint. Jak cast a worried glance at his best friend before relaxing when Dax got back to his feet. _At least maybe now I won't have to drive home with an unconscious furball in my lap._ A warning twitch in his nether regions kept the racer from entertaining the thought any further. When Jak blinked back into the conversation, Ashelin was holding her gun a breath away from Rayne's forehead.

_Why is everyone so upset? I mean, yeah, I'm freakin' pissed, but I'm not pulling weapons on people. _Jak thought. _If we race, we get the antidote, and we walk away alive. How hard could it be?_

"Jak, next time you invite me to one of your little parties, DON'T!" Dax shouted. Jak looked at his friend and suppressed a small chuckle.

"We can do this. We can race, and we can beat Krew at his own game." Jak exclaimed.

Dax wasn't so sure, but if Jak was in, so was he. For the rest of the meeting, the group listened to Rayne talk about the accommodations that they'd be provided with, and Dax vaguely wondered if he could take another nap throughout the car ride home.

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**AN: **I know it's a little short, but it seemed like a good place to stop. There will be more to come, I assure you. Reviews are welcome. Bye for now!


	2. New Awakenings

**Disclaimer:** Jak and Daxter are the property of Naughty Dog, Inc. I'm borrowing them.

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Since they had come to Kras City, Jak and Daxter had been staying at a hotel—a nice hotel, actually (since Krew's daughter was footing the bill). Behind the head of their bed was a large, glass window, and the hotel's wakeup system was a shade that automatically rose at whatever time one set it to. Since neither of the boys had messed with it, it was set to open at its default time—around 10 AM. The way the light hit them, it looked almost like a peaceful photograph. Jak was lying on his back with his arms strewn unceremoniously about his sides, and he slept in a white tank top and boxers. The racer must have been kicking in his sleep, as his covers were pushed down around his hips and his shirt had shifted upward just enough to reveal his bellybutton (an innie). Jak slept peacefully, with a smile on his face. Dax, on the other hand…

Instead of taking refuge between Jak and one of his arms or sleeping on top of his best friend's chest, Daxter lay curled around a bed of soft, green and blonde hair. His fur was standing on edge, his tail was in poof-mode, and based on how much he was twitching, you might doubt that he was actually asleep. Dax was having a bad dream, and when the ottsel's tail began swishing back and forth across Jak's face, the larger of the two boys started to wake up.

"Dax?" Jak questioned. Now that he was awake, he wondered how he ever fell asleep in the first place. Jak reached up to nudge the ottsel out of his slumber, and Dax reflexively dug his claws into the racer's hair.

"Aaah—OW! Dax!" Jak resisted the urge to thrust his attacker across the room and opted instead to carefully pry the ottsel away from his head. Dax was mumbling incoherently when Jak finally got him to wake up.

Orange Lightning looked down at his best friend. He was scared. Jack had both hands around his middle and was holding him an arm's length above his head. As Dax became more aware of his surroundings, he started to panic. He tried to wriggle out of his friend's grasp, but the more he struggled, the tighter Jak's grip became. Jak sat up, brought his knees up toward his chest, and placed Dax in the space between.

"WHAT is wrong with you?" Jak gave his friend a worried look and took in the silence while it lasted.

Dax inhaled deeply for what was about to be a torrent of words. "It was horrible! Me and Tess, we were together—she was still ottsel—and, an' we were gonna have kids, but somethin' happened to 'er and when she died, we lost the babies, an' it was HORRIBLE, Jak! You tried to cheer me up, an' it kinda worked, but I was still really miserable, an' I don't know what I would ever woulda done without—"

"Shhh, it's okay, Dax. …It was just a dream, don't scare me like that." Dax looked like he was about to cry. Jak wrapped his arms around his best friend and pulled him flush against his chest for a warm embrace. Dax rested his head in the crook of Jak's neck, and Jak closed his eyes and tried his best to soothe his troubled friend. He stroked the ottsel's back for what seemed like an eternity before Dax stopped whimpering and finally spoke up.

"Jak?"

"Yeah, Dax?" Jak opened his eyes and leaned back to look at his best friend.

"Remind me NEVER ta have KIDS! That was a TERRIBLE idea from the start!" Dax was back to normal. For a moment, Jak couldn't help but smile. Then, his tone got serious.

"You must've been really happy when the precursors turned Tess into an ottsel." Jak gave his friend a meaningful look.

"Eh… Not really. I mean, it was nice ta have someone like me. I felt kinda lonely when she changed back, but I know she didn't wanna stay that way. THAT's probably what actually made me feel lonely, now that I think about it. It's just… Ah, never mind, Jak." Dax offered a weak smile. "You don't hafta listen ta me go on like this."

"Dax, seriously, what is it? I mean, Tess told me you two haven't been talking much lately. What's really the matter?" _How do you feel about her?_

Dax's eyes widened and he shifted uncomfortably. "Whew, aren't we talkative today? It's fine, Jak, just let it go, okay?"

"This is obviously important to you. Talking about it will help. What's wrong? We can invite Tess over if you want to see her, you kn—"

"I LOVED HER! I loved her, okay? Precursors, Jak. Did ya really hafta make me say it? I thought she really cared about me, an' now I'm starting to realize that she only flirts with me so much because there's no way she could ever be expected to have a relationship with me. I'm tired of being a cute-and-fuzzy loudmouthed novelty! It sucks! You have so many goddamn women chasing after you—there's no way you could know what this is like. Sometimes I don't want to BE orange and furry, understand?"

Jak just stared blankly into his friend's eyes. He felt a pang of guilt with each shift in Dax's tone. Jak placed his hand over his eyes and sighed. "I'm really sorry, Dax… I—" Jak's voice was starting to crack. "I didn't realize that… That you were so broken up about it." _I really fucked up._

"Jak?" _Holy shit, is he cryin'? What the hell is goin' on here? Am I still dreaming? _Dax pried Jak's hand from his face, and sure enough, in the corner of Jak's eye was the tiniest (and one of the only) tears ever shed by the battle-worn hero. Dax met his gaze.

"I'm fine, now, big guy. Sorry fer keepin' all that ta myself fer so long. It's really not yer fault. I shouldn'ta gotten my hopes up so much, ya know?" Dax recognized the irony in the fact that he was cheering up Jak when HE'S the one who just had a traumatizing nightmare followed by an even MORE traumatizing conversation. Still, Jak was being so cute at the moment. _You really are my best friend._

Jak remained silent for a while, and his voice was barely above a whisper when he finally spoke. "That was wrong."

"What?" _What the hell is he talkin' about?_

"Tess really shouldn't have led you on like that—it was wrong."

_Awwww, he really DOES care about me!_" I'm okay now, big guy. Ya really cheered me up. I'm glad that at least YOU'RE always here fer me."

"And Dax—"

_There's more? _"What?"

"I really don't care about any of those girls that follow me around. As long as you're single, I'm single, too."

Dax didn't know if he would do the same were their situations reversed. I mean, Jak was a hero! He could get any girl he wanted and more—without even trying! The only thing Dax could do was smile and say, "Thanks, ya big idiot."

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

After their little heart-to-heart, the boys started getting ready for their first day on the tracks. Dax even surrendered his precious pants to the invaluable complimentary laundry service (he wouldn't have washed them, otherwise).

_How much is Rayne PAYING for this place, anyway? _Jak wondered as he blow-dried Daxter's wet fur.

"Ow, OW! Jak, watch the tail!" Dax shouted.

Jak reduced the heat to the next lowest setting. "Better?"

"Much. Why are we doing this, anyway? Can't I just air-dry it like usual?" Dax asked.

"It's cold out, Dax. Besides, we're going to be driving fast in a car with no roof at least until we get to the garage. If you were wet, you'd probably get sick. Get it?"

_Heh, he's pretty thoughtful. _"Thanks, Mom." As much as Dax didn't mind drying off, the heat was starting to get to him. Plus, the air blowing around his nether regions served as a constant reminder that he had yet to put his pants back on.

"There." Jak turned the dryer off with a click. "All better."

Dax smoothed out the fur on his chest with his hands and then checked himself out in the large mirror attached to the wall behind the counter he was standing on. "Lookin' good. Thanks, Jak. Now gimme my pants!"

Jak just laughed as he moved to oblige his friend. _Dax… You are so cute._

"Whaddaya starin' at? Hand 'em over!" Daxter demanded.

"Alright Dax, but then let's go." Jak was smiling.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

It wasn't until 3 o'clock that the boys actually arrived at the garage.

"Sheesh! Where did the last five hours go?" Dax wondered aloud.

"Saturday morning cartoons on satellite TV, room service breakfast in bed, two long showers and one laundry service!" Someone replied from behind.

_Precursors, that voice is familiar. _Dax was considering all of the people he knew.

"Have you been spying on us?" Jak questioned angrily.

_I recognize the obnoxiousness in his tone._

"No, it's all here on the bill." A presumptuous Monkaw flew around the room where he could face them. He was holding a sheet of paper.

_Who the hell is tha—_"PECKER?"

Pecker took a look at the ottsel's pants and snapped, "By the way! That laundry service was NOT complimentary!"

"What's it to you?" Jak asked.

"Nothing, really. I'm just trying to uncover why Krew's daughter would bother spending so much money on low-lives such as yourselves. Do you even know how to DRIVE?" He squawked.

Keira had entered the room at some point during the conversation, and she finally decided to speak up. "Low-lives? Excuse me, but we're the best racing team around! With me in your garage, all you have to worry about is dodging missiles long enough to finish each run." She sounded optimistic.

"Yeah! And don't forget about ME!" Dax jumped forward and pointed a finger into the air as if he were declaring something.

"What about you?" Keira asked.

"Orange Lightning will be lending HIS vehicular expertise to the garage as well. THAT's what!" The ottsel folded his arms confidently. Pecker just rolled his eyes.

"Who is this 'Orange Lightning'? Some fabulous new racer out to make a name for himself on the tracks?"

"WHO ARE YOU?" Jak, Dax, and Keira asked in unison.

"My name is G.T. Blitz, and I'm the host of the Kras City Racing Tournament. Why, I'm the host of every televised racing event in the world!" He responded enthusiastically. Then he saw Pecker.

"Hello G.T." Pecker added.

"Ah. Why, it seems my new co-host has gotten to you first. I thought we talked about this, PECKER! I GIVE all of the first interviews! I give all of the interviews PERIOD! Precursors, what was the network THINKING?" And with that, he stormed off.

"Well fellas, I'd better go after him. Good luck on the tracks. Just keep an eye on your tail feathers, if you know what I mean." Those were Pecker's last words as he flew out of the garage.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

The group dissipated. Jak felt little fingers in his hair and a tickle behind his ear. The tip of Daxter's tail was swishing and swaying along the racer's neck in a way that was almost _erotic_. It was the result of heavy concentration on the ottsel's part, but the feelings it invoked were quite poignant. Jak blushed and sat down quickly in an effort to avoid the inevitable.

"WHOA—hold on fer a second!" Dax shouted, as he frantically clutched Jak's head for balance. His tail shot down and pressed hard against one of the more sensitive parts of Jak's chest. Jak's breathing hitched at the sensations that shot through his body.

_Precursors…_ Jak closed his eyes and bit his lip before reaching over his head. He had to remove the cause of this _distress_. He placed Dax on the coffee table in front of him, and took several deep breaths. The racer closed his eyes and began massaging his temples. Dax cast a curious glance in his direction before scampering off to examine Torn's vehicle.

_What. The fuck. _Jak thought. _I am such a goddamn HORNBALL! Ugh, It's disgusting. I need to go..take care of this. Right. Where's the bathroom? _Jak stood up and wandered around. He was so preoccupied with his search that he barely noticed someone saunter into their garage.

"Vell hello. My name is Razor. Do you work for Rayne?" He asked.

"Who wants to know?" Jak replied. His tone was somewhat husky, probably because his mind was transitioning from anxious to angry.

The well-dressed intruder inspected Jak from head to toe. "I do. Tell her I stopped by. Ve have some business to discuss." He took a drag on his cigarette and added, "If you're looking for ze restroom, it's just down zat hallvay on ze right."

The hero just stood there with his mouth open, unable to speak. Razor left; he was amused, and that made up for the fact that Rayne wasn't there. For now, at least.

Jak looked down. He was hard. Again. And it was painfully obvious that he needed to do something about it. Very painful indeed. The handsome green-blonde glimpsed about to make sure no one was looking and bolted toward the lavatory. Jak absentmindedly wished that his pants were a little less tight as he closed and locked the door behind him. He was already unzipping his pants when he noticed how nice the bathroom was.

_Am I in the men's room? _He thought.

Well, there was a urinal there, as well as a regular toilet, so unless he was missing something about female anatomy, this was the right place. It was almost too nice for guys. Too nice for what he was about to do. He grabbed some tissues from next to the sink and cast a sidelong glance at himself in the mirror before sitting down on the brown suede loveseat. He had to do this. He needed it.

_I can't keep losing control in public. This is probably the last chance I'll get until I shower later on. _Jak closed his eyes, imagined the feel of his best friend purring in his lap, bit back a groan and cursed himself for what he was about to do. It was going to be a long night.

Jak closed his eyes and relaxed his arms. He clutched his knees with timid hands and inhaled as the sweat on his torso grew cold. The racer shrugged his jacket off to the side and tentatively began removing his shirt. He shuddered when the tight, sweat-soaked article of clothing brushed unceremoniously against his already hardened nipples. When his shirt hit the floor, Jak's fingers grazed the skin on his neck and across his chest, ignoring those sensitive spots that when touched, invoked a strong response.

_Nnnh, damn. I want… Ugh, precursors, I want… Dax… To touch me like this. I know it makes no sense, but—Nnn! _Jak bit his lower lip as one of his hands finally reached its goal. He leaned back into the couch pillows and, still clothed, ran a strong hand back and forth across his aching length. It was slow torture, in a good way. He pictured his friend the way he used to be—human.

_Fuck… I..I need to think of something else. Ashelin in a thong. Keira naked. Tess in a bikini._ While he tried to focus his mind, Jak busied his hands with pushing his pants and boxers down to his ankles. _Ashelin naked. Keira in a bikini. Tess naked. Ashelin in a bikini... That time she kissed me… Dax naked. Naked and blushing. Underneath me on our bed, squirming nervously… He's so cute when he's nervous._

Jak kicked his trousers completely off his feet and onto the floor. He brought his right foot up to the couch and leaned back into the armrest so that his legs were spread wide apart. He looked down and blushed at the way he was twitching so much. Doing this made him feel absolutely shameless. Still, it felt good. _So good…_

Jak ran his left hand down the length of his body and shyly cupped his balls, which sent soft waves of pleasure through his groin and caused his already dripping length to stiffen. "Annh, yes.." He moaned shyly. He shut his eyes while his right hand closed in on his throbbing manhood. He held himself firmly at first, thrusting lightly into his own hand, imagining that he was at the mercy of his best friend. _Uhn, Precursors, yes! Dax, I..I want…_

He had an idea. The racer sat up, quickening the pace with which he pumped away at himself. Jak slowly ambled over to the counter and grabbed a hand lotion dispenser. He stroked the underside of his length as he tottered back to the sofa, occasionally massaging the tip in his palm; quiet sighs escaped between the occasional groans. After he took up his original position on the loveseat, Jak paused his work to pump a copious amount of lotion into his hands. The racer resumed his blissful ministrations by smothering lotion over every square inch of the rather conspicuous organ in his grasp. He held two fingers together and ran them along his shaft. With all of the lotion, they felt slick, warm… It was exactly the effect he wanted to achieve.

"Unnh, Dax…" He purred softly. _I want you to suck on me._

The racer closed his eyes and imagined a head of red hair bobbing up and down in his lap. Gliding his tongue across the tip and suckling lightly… He wanted it so badly he could feel it, and he almost cried out from the blinding pleasure as he rammed his slippery arousal into two closed hands again and again. He slowed his pace as the image started to fade. His consciousness had returned to the extent that he could at least think, and he wondered if he'd want to come in his friend's throat. _Yes… And I want to make you explode just as hard, Dax... _New thoughts of how best to pleasure Dax spurred him on.

Jak's left hand once again reached down past the other to stroke his swollen testicles. The racer was working at an increasingly faster pace. He started to breathe heavily as he thrust into a firm grip. Sometimes he would buck forward a little further and allow his left hand to reach down a little further toward the unknown. Jak felt a curious touch of pleasure as those fingers left feather-light touches somewhere lower than he had ever cared to explore.

Jak pumped much more lotion onto his left hand and began to test his limits. He started out just by touching the space beneath his testicles, and investigated further by applying a light pressure as he massaged himself in small circular motions. He felt the same small pleasure he had evoked earlier and gasped at the revelation. He stopped thinking. His body took control over his mind as his hand went lower… Lower… _Nnnh…_ Stroking himself softly. _Ahh, yes…_ A little further down, Jak discovered his opening. He kept massaging in small circles around the rim, and was greeted with a pleasant surprise when he pressed a finger lightly against the center. _Nngh… Precursors!_

The room suddenly felt ten degrees warmer. The racer felt hot and heady, almost as if he were bathing in dark eco. He continued to apply a light pressure below while his right hand continued stroking with unstoppable force. _Almost..there..._ Jak closed his eyes and tightened his grip. A steady stream of moans and muffled cries filled the room as the racer brought himself closer and closer to the edge. His entire body was tense and drenched with sweat. His last thought before the grand climax was, _I'd kill to watch Dax do this._ It was as if a great pressure had been released. Jak cursed under his breath and let his arms flop to the side as his softened member twitched in the aftershocks of an incredible orgasm. He laid there for over a minute before moving to clean himself up. Time seemed to have stopped, and at that point, all he could think was: _Wow._

_Wow. I can't believe I just jerked off to the image of my best friend. _Jak slipped on his boxers.

_Wow. I can't remember the last time I got myself off that well. _The racer stepped into his pants.

_Wow… I can't believe I'm…_ Jak shook the thought away as he pulled his shirt back on over his head. He looked around for his jacket as he ran a comb through his hair. _I mean, I still like girls, right? Not that I like any girl in particular. I was just overexcited. It was too much stimulation, I mean, how could all of that contact NOT get a rise out of someone? It was perfectly natural._

Jak donned his jacket and checked himself out in the mirror. _Nothing suspicious here. Just took a little too long to go to the bathroom. Right. _And with that, he unlocked the door and went along his merry way. Daxter had been distracted by all of the new cars, and no one else seemed to really notice his absence. It was as if the past half hour had never even happened. Jak needed to think about his new feelings, and he feared that something might change for the worse.

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**AN: **Since I didn't want to give anything away in the opening, now I'll point out that Dax's bad dream was actually a reference to a nightmare/idea that my friend (sillynekorobs) had. Doesn't she have an interesting mind? My dreams are never about anything as cool as Jak and Daxter. She seemed like the dream really got to her, so I figured it'd really get to Dax as well. Also, as far as taking so long to update goes, I'm sorry! I had to put in a lot of extra hours at work, and my last day off before today was Halloween (which I didn't spend writing because, well, it was Halloween). I look forward to reading any of your reviews.


	3. The First Race

**AN: **So here we are again. I took forever to update. This one is slightly longer than the others have been, so maybe that makes up for it? Probably not. I also realized that I spell names funny, and by funny I mean wrong. :O *gasp* But consistency is better, ne?

**Disclaimer: **Jak and Daxter are the property of Naughty Dog, Inc. I'm borrowing them.

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Later that night, the boys were lying in bed. All of the lights were out, Daxter was spread out across Jak's chest, and both of them were staring wide-eyed into the dark nothingness that was their ceiling.

Jak coughed.

"Bless you." Dax murmured.

They sat in silence, each worried about something, and both wondering if that something was the same thing for both of them. _Dax… If you had any clue about what I did today, you wouldn't be so comfortable right now._

But Dax wasn't comfortable. Jak looked down his torso, and Dax began to sit up, hiding his face behind tiny hands. _Dax?_ Jak began to worry. _Does he... know?_

Jak sat up abruptly, inadvertently knocking Daxter into his lap.

"Oh! Sorry, Dax. I didn't mean to…"

They drowned in the silence for a while.

"Jak." Dax choked.

"Yeah, Dax?" The racer sounded nervous. _There's no way he could have found out…_

"Tomorrow's your first race." The ottsel stated in a voice barely more audible than a whisper. Jak let out the breath he was holding and gazed down at his lap.

Jak smiled. "Yeah, and? We're gonna do great! No worries."

"You mean _you're _gonna do great, bud." Dax mumbled, still avoiding his friend's glance.

"What the hell is _that _supposed to mean? …Oh. Dax, we talked about this. I thought we agreed that—"

"YOU agreed. I don't wanna be stuck on the sidelines just waitin' ta see if you finish alive." Dax looked up into Jak's eyes. He was pretty upset.

"Ah…" Jak sighed. He reached down around Daxter's front and ruffled the fur on Orange Lightning's chest. Dax relaxed a little in his friend's lap.

"Dax…" The ottsel stiffened. _I may LOOK small but I'm just as old as you, pal. Stop treatin' me like a goddamn baby! _Jak took the hint and decided to get serious.

"You're not coming with me during the race. It's too dangerous. There's no sense in putting us both at risk. I could DIE out there—"

"Exactly! You could DIE out there, Jak. An' how do ya think I'd feel if you died an' left me here to fend fer myself, hmm? Where would I live? What would I do? Who'd be there ta stop ol' Tattooed Wonder from cookin' me fer dinner? Besides, you made me a promise, one you can't keep if yer dead." Daxter was breathing heavily from the overexcitement.

"Dax, come on—"

"Don't you _Dax _me, buddy! How is sittin' in the goddamn car with you any more dangerous than sittin' on yer shoulder in the middle of a freakin' battle? Besides, I have a stake in this, too. We all drank the poison, ya know." The ottsel had turned to face Jak; he was then standing on the racer's legs, staring him straight in the eye, and grabbing his shirt in an attempt to seem threatening. In an odd way, he was. To Jak, at least.

_He's really upset… Damn it. I was only looking out for you, you know. _Jak thought. "Alright," he said. "You can stay with me, but only if you stay IN the car, no sitting on my shoulder or sticking your head out the window."

Daxter's eyes widened. "Really? Alright, deal. Maybe I'll even take a nap or two." He laughed. Orange Lightning was back.

"Alright now, are you ready to get some sleep?" Jak asked.

"Ha! Am I ever NOT ready?" Dax smiled and shut his eyes while Jak laid them both on their sides, snuggling Dax against his chest.

_Mmm, this is better. _Jak thought. "Oh, and Dax?"

"Yeah, Jak?"

"We're _not _gonna die out there, and definitely not before I fulfill my promise." The racer declared.

_Heh. I half-thought he'd forgotten about that. _Dax felt warm. Jak was his best friend, his family. He knew he was in good hands. Dax nuzzled the back of his head in the crook of Jak's neck before simply saying, "I know."

Jak stroked Dax's front until they both fell asleep, each feeling slightly relieved. Jak wasn't worried about losing OR surviving the next day's race, although he knew he'd always have a hand ready to guard Daxter from harm should the need arise. In some ways, this complicated things, but it made life a lot simpler overall. Things would be just as they always were. They were a team, after all. Dax was the brains, and Jak the brawn. And just because Dax was trapped in the body of a small animal didn't make him any less human. In the end, Jak probably only agreed because he knew that the safest place Daxter could be really was just the middle of his own lap.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

When the next morning arrived, light started to shine over the boys' hotel room, and Daxter began to stir. _What time is it?_

He rolled onto his back. "Jak?" _Must be out lookin' for breakfast or somethin'._

Daxter stretched his arms by extending them upward as far as they could go before noticing that something else was amiss. _Heh. Normally I'd be really cold right now. With only this sheet to cover me up… _The heat that radiated from Jak was usually enough to keep both of them warm.

He sat up. The sheets fell to his waist. Dax began rubbing the sleepiness out of his eyes. _Wait a minute… No..Fur?_

In a split second, two large blue eyes greeted the world, and the world seemed much smaller this time. The boy, who indeed just realized that he was, in fact, a boy, held his breath as he took his first look down at his new and very naked body.

"Oh. My…" He took a deep breath. "Precursors! I don't know how this happened, but—yes! This is incredible, wow. I can't believe it! FINALLY!" Dax shouted into the quiet room. He sounded like an amateur jetboarder who just pulled off the most difficult move in the book.

The redhead lifted the sheets around his legs to peek at the lower half of his new body. "Haha! It's all there, alright. Wait 'til I tell Jak! I finally got PUBES!" He was ecstatic.

_Why would you want to say something like that to your MALE best friend? _His inner voice was talking again.

"What's that supposed ta mean? It's Jak! Besides, he's had a loooooong time to be a man, and this is the first time I've gotten beyond the 'cute and cuddly' stage o' life. After about a decade of bein' orange and furry, ya start to give up on normal development." Dax answered confidently.

"Besides, it's not like I haven't seen HIM naked a hundred an' ten times, ya know?" The redhead ran his fingers through his rather long hair, and had begun working through a small tangle when the communicator went off.

"Coming!" The former ottsel announced to no one in particular.

_Hmm, it says 'urgent.' _Dax noted. He answered the call.

"Yo." He said.

"Daxter! _Daxter? _Is that YOU? Ah, never mind, you can explain later. It's nice to have you back, but…" It was Keira. She seemed really anxious about something.

"But what, sweetheart?" Dax cooed, obviously missing what was so "urgent" about the call.

Keira started crying. "Daxter… It's Jak. I don't know how to s-say this b-but…" Something was wrong. Daxter felt his stomach sink.

"But what, babe?" His tone was worried.

"Daxter… Jak didn't make it. He won the race, but Razor shot a missile at him right after he crossed the finish line. Jak died in the explosion."

A tear streamed down the redhead's new face. _I am gonna KILL that asshole!_

"Daxter, we won. We got the antidote." Keira added. She was crying, as well. Suddenly, Daxter didn't feel so good. The room was spinning.

"Daxter? Don't go anywhere, I'll be right over!" The communicator blinked off. At that point, the redhead had stopped paying attention. He started to lose his footing, and his grasp on the communicator loosened, knocking it to the floor. As he fell, the only thing he could think was that Jak wouldn't be there to catch him this time.

But he never hit the ground. Instead, Daxter felt two strong arms squeeze him against a hardened chest. _What? _He was an ottsel again, that was for sure.

Dax could hear his friend speak from what at first sounded like a distance. "Dax? Daxter? Everything's alright. Can you hear me?"

"Wha…?" Daxter mumbled into his friend's shirt. "J-Jak?" His voice sounded… broken. Jak was seriously starting to get worried.

Jak ran his hands down Daxter's back, alternating each one so that the ottsel was being held at virtually all times. Daxter was whimpering the whole time. "Shh, Dax. It's okay." _Is he… crying? He seemed so happy last night… Another bad dream, maybe?_

"Jak…" Dax hiccupped. "Don't…" Jak rested his chin on the top of Daxter's head, closed his eyes, and listened intently.

"Don't what, Dax?" The racer spoke softly, gently massaging his friend's neck and shoulders.

"Just.. Don't worry about keepin' yer promise to me." The ottsel sniffled. His nose had started to run because of all the crying.

_What? This really doesn't make any sense._ "Umm… Can I ask _why_?" Jak was really confused. Could that really be the source of Daxter's nightmares? His tears?

For the first time, Daxter relinquished the safety of his friend's shirt, and looked up into Jak's big, blue, and very concerned eyes. "If ya never fulfill yer promise, you won't be able to go an' die on me." Dax laughed quietly, despite the sniffles and still-drying eyes. Then he returned to his safety blanket (Jak) and waited for his friend to respond.

When Jak looked down at that cute, cuddly, scared little ball of orange fur, his heart melted. He would do _anything_ for Daxter. Hell, he was racing for the antidote because he wanted to save his friend more than anyone else (and because Ashelin would probably bitch and moan to no end if he didn't bother trying). If Daxter had said "Ya know what, Jak? I don't really feel like savin' the world this time," you can bet that Jak would spend his time swimming and playing with his best friend (let someone _else _be the hero for once). And at that moment, looking down at the person he cared more about than anything—even himself—it was all he could do not to kiss Daxter innocently on the forehead.

For a while, they had remained silent. It was a comfortable silence, like back at Sandover. Jak's grip never loosened for even a second, and after a little, Daxter had calmed down enough to just happily enjoy the petting.

Then he spoke.

"I had a nightmare." Dax admitted. Jak pretty much already knew, though.

"What happened?" Jak asked.

"I'm gettin' to that! Dummy." Dax smiled into Jak's shirt. "It seemed so real. I guess the worst nightmares always do… I was human again, and…" The ottsel's ears drooped downward. "And you were dead."

"Ah…" Jak was finally starting to understand. "Dax… I'm not gonna just let myself die once we find a way to turn you ba—"

"I love you!" Dax squeaked into Jak's shirt. He was crying again. Jak was rubbing the tip of Daxter's right ear between a finger and his thumb. "Don't leave me."

"Aww, Dax. I… Love you, too." Jak sighed. "I'm not gonna die, okay? I mean, I'll protect you with my life, but I promise I'll never abandon you. You're my best friend. You're… the only person I care about. I'm serious." Jak admitted. Those words felt… heavy, somehow.

But Daxter lightened the mood a moment later when he turned toward Jak, inhaled deeply through his nose, and smiled. Then the ottsel's ears perked up, and he opened his eyes.

"What is it, now?" Jak laughed.

Daxter gave a wry smile. "Let's go get some breakfast. Together!"

"Haha, okay, Dax. Anything you want." Jak was glad to see his friend okay again. He listened to him chatter while he threw on some pants. "Let's get French toast. Or, no, no, no, wait! Eggs and an English muffin!"

Everything was gonna be just fine.

"Oh, and Jak! In my dream, when I was human, my hair was real long and I had PUBES!"

"Haha, whoa, Dax. Too much information." Jak laughed as they walked out to the elevator.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

The hotel's "restaurant" was a series of tables erected in the large ballroom just beyond the lobby where people checked in. It looked like the kind of place that families rented out for wedding receptions and other important celebrations. The floor was made of a stone much smoother than brick, but it was tiled as if that's what it was. On one side of the room lay three long tables draped in a white cloth and topped with over a dozen silver serving dishes. It was a high-quality breakfast buffet.

Since this was the first day the two actually woke up early enough to attend the hotel's brunch, Daxter was seeing it for the first time.

"Hot DAMN!" The ottsel exclaimed. "Finally, a reason to get up in the morning." Daxter involuntarily tugged on Jak's pants in order to warn the racer that he was about to be climbed upon. Dax had to go up and down so often that after a while, it was second nature to them.

Jak grinned. It was nice to have Daxter so close. It was certainly easier to keep an eye on him that way. Dax directed his friend by pointing to each place he wanted to go. They weren't really supposed to help themselves to the buffet before informing a waitress, but who was going to stop them? Besides, the entire hotel staff was aware of the boys' unlimited monetary resources.

"Oo, Jak, there are the plates. See them? Grab me one. Alright, good, now open that platter. Mmm, no, I don't want that. Let's try the next one." It was in this fashion that Jak eventually constructed Daxter's breakfast plate.

The racer surveyed the other guests, and no one else looked like they had ever set foot behind a steering wheel, let alone raced before.

_I wouldn't be surprised if some of these people ran the television network. _Jak thought.

If any of their competitors _had_ been there, they probably would've laughed at what looked like a small animal ordering Krew's frontman around like a butler. Jak was used to that, though. People rarely understood why he kept Daxter around at all times, at least not at first. But Daxter _wasn't_ his pet, he _wasn't_ a nuisance, and he sure as hell wasn't just dead weight to be carried around. Even those who understood the strategic advantage to having Daxter around would never in a million years have guessed that the ottsel was actually _why _Jak took on so many adventures.

"Jaa-aak! Hell-ooo, is anybody in there?" Daxter had his hands on either side of Jak's face and had pressed their noses together out of frustration.

Jak snapped back into reality. "Whoa, hehe. Sorry, Dax. I was just lost in thought."

"THOUGHT? What on EARTH could you be thinkin' about when we're standin' in front of this heavenly food?" The ottsel was thinking with his stomach.

Jak shrugged his shoulders. "Things." _You._

"What kinds of things? Take us over there. I want some of that juice. There, grab the cup and just pour it in. No, no, the larger one. Perfect!" Jak scoffed inwardly at his friend's limited attention span. _He has no idea how cute he is._

Jak was now balancing a precariously full plate of food next to a huge glass of orange juice on a metal tray, and with Daxter prattling nonstop in his ear, just in case it wasn't challenging enough already, the racer slowly ambled onward to a secluded table in the far corner of the room.

When the handsome green-blonde finally brought Daxter's breakfast in for a landing, the ottsel scampered off his shoulder and directly onto the tabletop. If they hadn't known better, the wait staff might have panicked at the sight of what appeared to be a large, bright-orange rodent in the middle of their restaurant, but Rayne's people had made it extremely clear that Daxter was to be treated with the utmost respect, _or else_. Jak then brought his hands together and bowed as though he were a martial artist that just completed a match.

Dax was unimpressed. "Yeah, yeah. Thanks, Jak." Still, the ottsel couldn't help but smile. "Hey, aren't you gonna have somethin' to eat?"

Jak shook his head, "No. When the waitress comes I'll order something to drin—"

"Good morning, gentlemen! My name is Lina and I'll be your server this morning." The girl was blushing furiously, and the large group of whispering kitchen employees huddled a few yards away seemed to indicate that she had taken a dare of some sort. _She totally has it in fer Jak… _Dax sighed. _Who doesn't, these days? Ah, well. Time to do what I do best._

"Hello, beautiful." The ottsel purred in what Jak could tell was a seriously overplayed tone, even for Dax.

"The lady here," Daxter extended his palm, indicating Jak. "Would like—what would ya like, babe?"

"Coffee, black." Jak was trying not to laugh.

"Ah, yes. Be a dear an' fetch that coffee. Oh, and while yer at it, add this to our bill—we won't be needin' anything else."

The waitress just stood there, wide-eyed with her mouth hung open. "Right! Coffee. Right away, sir."

"That was easy. She looked like she'd never seen a talkin' animal before." Daxter gloated proudly.

Jak laughed. "Ah, man, Dax! That was _brutal_. Hehe. Phew, at least I didn't have to deal with that myself. Thanks for covering for me."

"I know, I know. Orange Lightning saves the day! I told ya, Jak, you really are some kinda chick magnet, ya know." Daxter was already back to shoveling a stack of pancakes into his mouth.

While he was in the middle of chewing, he added, "Whatever, though. Ya can't help it if yer beautiful. You were born that way."

Jak's ears reddened. _Sometimes I don't know if we're just friends, or something more…_

Moments later, a quiet busboy placed Jak's coffee in front of him, as well as a receipt that showed that the cost of their meal had been added to Rayne's tab. The boys finished the rest of their meal in silence. They knew this would be their last chance to relax for upwards of eight hours that day.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

They arrived at their base just after 9 am, and the place was empty. _I'm glad I actually remembered my keys, or we'd be freezing our asses off waiting around for someone to let us in. _Jak thought as he unlocked the door.

"Ah, home sweet home." Daxter sighed. "Kindof."

There wasn't much to do. Their cars themselves were brand spankin' new to begin with, so they had completed the few modifications they needed to make the day before. No repairs, yet. _I'm sure that the green-haired wonder will have changed that by tonight. _Dax thought.

What to do? What to do? _Check for sabotages?_ Check. _Feel like changing the paint color? No._ Check. _Use watching television as a pretense to snuggle with Jak? _Ding ding ding ding ding! We have a winner, folks! Snuggle with Jak it is!

"Yo, Jak! Wanna watch TV?" The ottsel was already pointing to the big-screen television when he realized that Jak was talking to somebody else.

_Her again. I swear, Jak has a thing for that blue-haired chick. _Daxter's ears drooped. Nevertheless, the ottsel didn't like being kept out of the loop; he walked over to listen in on their conversation.

"…and make sure you always reserve at least one mine for missile deflection. You'll do no good to us dead." Rayne stated.

_Nyou'll do nyo good to us nyead!_ Daxter mocked her words in his head. _Something about her really ticks me off. _He thought.

Jak brought his friend back out of thought, however. "Hey, Dax, c'mere. Take a look at this map."

Orange Lightning scurried to the bottom of his friend's leg, gave a quick tug on his pant-leg, and quickly ascended Mt. Jak. Once perched safely on Jak's shoulder, the ottsel stuck his tongue out at Rayne. Jak was actually looking down at the map spread across the table, so he didn't notice—which is good, because he probably would have scolded Dax for biting the hand that feeds him.

Rayne's reaction was just confused look, after which she dismissed it altogether. _Boys will be boys. _She thought. "Anyway, I've got business with the television network to attend to. Got to make sure they catch every second of your first victory!" Upon noticing that she was pretty much being ignored, Rayne turned to leave. "Later, then."

Dax watched her go. _Hahaha, that'll teach her! Tryin' to seduce my Jak, hmph! Not if Orange Lightning has anything to say about it. _Daxter smirked.

Then his inner voice started to chime in again. "_Your" Jak? What's that supposed to mean?_ Dax grumbled. It felt weird to be annoyed at… himself. _He's MY best friend, I found him first! _He argued.

_Yeah, and she's a pretty rich girl with big boobs and a sexy accent. _Dax frowned at that thought. How long could Jak hold out before finally breaking down and asking his permission to have a girlfriend?

_If my own "desires" are any indication, Jak's probably hornier than a rabbit in heat. _The fur on the back of his neck prickled at the thought.

_Mmm, hehe. I kindof like the sound o' that._ Dax closed his eyes and grinned widely. Then he shook his head roughly. _Wait, WHAT? No! Eew! Jak is a MAN. He has a PENIS. _Dax was fighting a losing battle.

_Shush, you..stupid..inner voice thingy! I was only joking, yeesh. _The ottsel didn't like this internal conflict.

_I bet if I was a girl, I'd be damn hot, an' Jak would be ALL over me!_ He was pulling at strings. _Daxter… Just. Shut up for once, okay?_

Orange Lightning was speechless. He never thought it was possible to lose a debate against yourself, but he did. That wasn't really the issue, though. Dax knew his inner voice was just a part of himself he didn't want to face. The part that thought Jak would eventually grow out of him, that he would never return to human form, and that in the end, he couldn't compete with girls. Those things aside, however, the part that _really _scared Daxter was the fact that he was asking himself those questions to begin with.

The ottsel cast a sidelong glance at Jak's toned rear before deciding to forget about this for now and try to remain focused on the task at hand.

"And make sure we know this turn here when we see it. If we're going too fast, we'll become one with that wall, and if we make a sharp swerve without slowing down to see what's in front of us, I think we'll get hit by a…train." Jak looked up at his friend. He was slightly amused. "You know, this is the most effed up sport I've ever heard of, and the only thing more retarded is the fact that we're risking our lives at this idiotic game because we've been poisoned by a dead man." And Daxter thought _he _had a knack for vernacular.

"Yeah. You said it, pal." Somehow, Dax just didn't sound like himself. Of course, Jak noticed immediately and decided that the best course of action was to pry.

"You okay?" The racer asked. "You've had a rough couple of nights, Dax. Are you sure you're up for this?" Jak ruffled the fur behind his friend's neck.

"Heheh, ahhh… Yeah, I'm defin..ite..ly su-sure, Jak. Sto-o-op, I can't think straight when you d-do that. Jaaa-aak!" The ottsel squeaked.

"Okay, okay. Quit whining, I'll stop. But what if I do THIS?" Jak pulled a surprise tickle-attack out of nowhere and Daxter was completely unprepared.

"UNCLE! UNCLE! I don't even—aaahh—know what that means, but fer precursors' sakes, _uncle_!" Daxter screamed while he writhed, wriggled, and all but scratched Jak to escape his friend's deadly grip.

Jak laughed and let up a little bit. He held the ottsel in one hand and leaned him against his chest. He used his free arm to stroke Daxter's soft, orange fur—from the top of his head to the bottom of his tail. The effect was mostly calming, except that his tail was extra sensitive and started twitching from overstimulation. At least the expression Dax wore told the racer that it felt good, which was the important thing, after all.

"There," Jak said. "All better." The ottsel cooed affectionately as a thanks for having been brought to a state of languid bliss.

"Now," Jak added. "Wanna watch TV with me while we wait for the others to arrive?" Jak took a seat in the middle of the round couch, rested his arms over the back of it, and motioned for Daxter to come lean on his side. The ottsel was more than happy to oblige, and ran to make himself cozy while Jak searched for something to watch.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

It wasn't until around quarter to eleven when the others arrived, and they were greeted by two sleeping partners that gave up trying to find any channel that ran a program sans a one Mr. G.T. Blitz.

Torn took the obvious route and chucked a box of tissues (from the coffee table) at Jak's chest.

Jak reacted quickly. His eyes shot open to glare at his attacker while his entire right arm darted to shield Daxter, who, for the most part, was still asleep. Then, before a full second had passed, the racer all but crushed the cardboard tissue box in his less-dexterous left hand before pitching it smack in the middle of Torn's eyes.

Ashelin couldn't help but laugh at the square-shaped red mark that now decorated her boyfriend's already-colorful face.

Jak didn't even need to explain his actions. They all knew better not to mess around with him when he was sleeping. The racer was all for horseplay when he was fully awake, but he made it a point to be on his toes when it came to Daxter's safety—and that meant reacting as quickly as possible to anything that might threaten them during naps. Besides, Torn got what was coming to him.

Jak smiled. He was glad because the first race would soon be underway. The green-blonde took a second to check up on his tired friend, who was rubbing his eyes bewilderedly.

"Wha's goin' on?" Dax slurred his words.

Jak replied in a quiet tone that only Daxter could hear. "You didn't miss anything. I clobbered Torn with a box of tissues."

Despite the fact that that made so little sense at the time, the ottsel grinned and said, "Yeah, I can see the mark." Dax yawned and stretched his arms out for what felt like the third time that day. He really could fall asleep just about anywhere.

By that point, Ashelin had noticed the map of the track they were about to race spread out on the coffee table. Torn also saw how ridiculous it seemed to use speeding cargo trains as obstacles on the track. The couple began counting the deathtraps for fun.

Meanwhile, Keira and Samos finally arrived, although neither of them would be racing.

Samos had brought some food and green eco tanks just in case anyone wasn't totally up to speed for (or after) this first race. While he busied himself in the small kitchen, Keira walked over to greet the boys.

"So Dax, I hear you're not gonna keep me company after all." Keira remarked. By that time, Dax was already trying to go back to sleep, but he opened one eye to acknowledge her.

"Guess I'll just sit around and watch you guys get your asses blown up on TV." She winked at Jak. It was all Daxter could do to keep himself from growling.

"Eh? Whoa, whoa! Watch it, Dax!" Jak hissed. Orange Lightning had reflexively dug his claws deep into Jak's scalp. As soon as he realized what he had done, Dax removed his hands as if he were grasping a hot engine.

"S-sorry!" The ottsel stammered apologetically. Jak reached up to ruffle his fur.

"It's okay, Dax. You couldn't hurt me if you wanted to, it's just uncomfortable." Jak said. Dax crawled down onto Jak's lap and stood on his friend's legs to face him.

"Couldn't hurt ya if I wanted to, eh, Jak?" Daxter grinned maniacally at the knowledge of what he was about to do. Jak's eyes widened in something akin to terror, and he thrust his hands forward in a futile attempt to save himself.

Daxter laughed as he jumped on top of Jak's arms and scampered onto his shoulder so fast that Jak leaned forward from the shock of it. Then, Dax took advantage of his newly-acquired access and dove down the back of Jak's shirt.

"What? NO! Ahhhhh! Haha, ahh n-NO, wait, WAIT! Hahhh—" Jak had to stop himself from crushing Daxter into the back of the couch as he writhed uncontrollably under the hands of his best friend, the master tickler. Jak was just about to explode from being unable to breathe when Orange Lightning finally let up, emerging victoriously.

"You guys are so gay." Torn remarked.

_You don't know the half of it_. Jak thought bitterly.

"Jealous?" Dax smirked.

"It looks like the race begins in twenty minutes. Time to suit up." Ashelin interrupted.

Jak actually wondered what she meant by that, because he was just planning to race in the clothes he had on. He already wore gloves, so aside from a helmet, he was basically set. Nonetheless, he scooped Daxter up back onto his shoulder and busied himself with the easy task of getting his car onto the track.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

Once they were all out on the track and into position, Jak had about fifteen minutes to kill. He looked at the cars around them. _Is this it? _The racer thought.

Daxter seemed to have read his thoughts, because he responded. "This is probably just it for the human complement." _That sounds about right. _Jak thought.

The ottsel continued.

"There will probably be a dozen drones entering the race as people shoot them down. The map showed points at which they come onto the track, remember?"

"Huh?" Jak murmured. To be honest, his mind was actually a little distant when he was reviewing the course details with Rayne—and besides, he had taken a fairly long nap since then. The only things that really stood out in the racer's mind were sharp turns and obstacles. _Great. Real specific. _Jak cursed himself for not studying it further.

"Don't worry, pal. You've got an extra set of eyes. I'll let ya know if anyone tries to shoot us from behind, alright?" Dax proposed. Jak nodded in agreement.

Daxter was glad to know that he could actually be of some help. Jak was grateful for the support, although the risks would probably outweigh the benefits what with Jak being so preoccupied with Daxter's well-being throughout the race.

The racer sunk back into his chair and inhaled calmly. "Less than five minutes, Dax. Pull your goggles on." The ottsel complied happily. Daxter was excited.

Jak just sat there, drumming his fingers on the wheel. He brought a hand up to rest on his friend's back, and closed his eyes as he concentrated on the feel of Orange Lightning's lively pulse. A sharp knock on his window brought him out of his trance.

"You ready?" It was just some racetrack employee making sure all teams were okay to start. The man didn't actually even wait for a response before moving to the next vehicle. Whatever they were worried about, it certainly wasn't safety.

"Alright, Dax. This is it." Jak relaxed the muscles in his back and turned his head from side to side in an effort to crack his neck. Daxter clutched Jak's shoulder with one arm and the side of his headrest with the other. He could easily watch the road both in front and in back of them.

A loud horn sounded, and an announcer started to count down.

"On your marks!" Jak clutched the wheel tightly.

"Get ready!" The racer placed his foot impatiently above the gas pedal, ready to floor it.

"3!"

"2!" The ottsel held his breath and braced himself the only way he knew how.

"1!"

"_GO!_" The racer slammed his foot forward onto the gas pedal and hurled his car forward as he weaved dangerously between the other riders in an attempt to come out ahead. By the time he was in third place, someone had already dropped a mine for him to dodge.

Daxter had begun to dig his claws into Jak's shoulder again, and Jak allowed it (partly because it would be dangerous to pry him off at this point and partly because he knew how scary it must have been for his best friend, who really never could get used to fast driving).

What amazed Jak the most was the track itself. And his car! How he could be going as fast as he was seemed beyond logic. The precursors must have thrown physics out the window and into an erupting volcano for this to be even remotely possible. What a ridiculous sport! Jak was concentrating so heavily on staying alive that he barely noticed just how dangerous of a situation they were really in.

"Um, UMM, Ah, AAAAH—JAAAAAAK!" Daxter pointed forward at the gigantic chasm in the track that they were expected to jump across.

"BOOST! BOOST! BOOST!" Daxter's cries were muffled slightly as he all but burrowed his face into Jak's crotch. Luckily, the engine was so noisy that no one heard the rather loud moan that escaped the racer's mouth at the height of their jump across the gap in the road.

But Jak really didn't have time to worry about his growing erection. It was too important that they land safely. _Unngh… Daxter! _And of course, the rough landing only mashed Daxter further against his groin, which almost caused him to close his eyes when the rush of pleasure pulsed through him.

None of this was really beyond Daxter, either. Of course he noticed the rather large bulge protruding between the racer's legs, and he was going to have some fun with it. For a while, Dax stood up on Jak's leg to watch the progress of the race. They were doing well, alternating between first and second place. This time, right before they were about to make the flying leap of faith over the Grand Canyon, Daxter put as much pressure as he could apply against Jak's groin, shouted "BOOST," and in one quick movement, ran his hand across Jak's length before burying himself against the racer's inner thigh. For a split second, Jak _did _close his eyes.

And Dax heard him that time.

Feeling satisfied with himself, the ottsel calmed down and simply rested in Jak's lap for the remainder of the run. Jak had been in first place for more than half of the last lap and it looked like this would be an easy win. It didn't make it seem any less dangerous, however, as Jak was reminded by the missiles flying by on either side of his vehicle as he crossed the finish line for the very first time.

Victory was sweet. Jak didn't have much to say when the reporters came around, and he was blushing profusely. Dax covered for him, though, and just said something about how they were happy to have made it out alive.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

That night, they all stayed for celebration dinner at the garage. The food Samos had brought was all vegetables and dips, so Rayne ordered out for hot wings, pizza, and a giant sub. Jak was still mentally cursing himself for what he thought might be considered molesting Daxter (which was ironic, because Daxter pretty much molested _him_), and the aforementioned ottsel was trying to eat himself fat.

Jak was so lost in his worries that he never even noticed the way Keira sized him up from across the room. Dax would have been angry, but he knew that Jak didn't even see her—and that was enough. By the time the party had died down, they both just wanted to go home, get cleaned up, and go to bed.

"C'mon, Dax. You ready to head out?" Jak ran his finger in small circles around his friend's lower back.

"Mmmm, hehe. Stop doin' that, already! Yeah, I'm ready ta go." The ottsel replied. Jack blushed a little at his friend's comment, though, because he didn't realize he was even touching him. _I've got to start keeping my hands to myself._

Of course, Daxter relaxed on Jak's lap in the car, but Jak was almost too tired to be affected. As soon as they pulled up to the hotel, the racer handed the keys to a valet and marched Daxter up to their room. Jak was practically dying to bathe.

While it's true that the boys did usually shower together, Dax would typically be busy gathering the toiletries from various parts of the bathroom, or in some cases, the entire apartment. He'd find the cleanest pair of pants around and set them out for Jak to wear when they were done.

This time, however, they were staying at a hotel. All of their laundry was already done, so it took less than a minute to set up an outfit for Jak. Also, all of the shampoo, soap, washcloths, towels, shaving cream, razors, body wash and whatever else one might need in the shower were laid out neatly on the bathroom sink.

Dax removed his pants and put them with the clothes to be washed. After that, there really wasn't anything to do. The bathroom was usually filled with steam by the time Orange Lightning met his friend under the water. Today, the only thing for Dax to do was to… sit and watch his best friend undress.

At first he didn't know what to do with his hands. When his tail twitched, he knew he should look away, but something compelled him. Jak had realized it was happening almost half a minute ago, and it made him feel embarrassed, too. And as much as the racer really, truly wished it wouldn't, Daxter's unblinking stare turned him on way faster than when the ottsel purred in his lap. This was his best friend, who in reality was human, nervously ogling the most private parts of his body. And the way his tail trembled erratically made it seem all the less innocent.

As Jak was struggling to remove his last sock (for some reason, he did socks last), their eyes met.

"Hi." Jak said. His face went red. _If you keep staring at me like that, I'm going to lose control. _He thought.

"Oh, umm; Hey, Jak." Daxter took the hint, and quickly shifted his gaze down to his feet. Jak's heart sank. He didn't mean to make him feel bad or anything.

Jak smiled. Daxter was obviously just as embarrassed as he was, and it made the little ottsel look just the tiniest hair cuter than he usually did. _It'll be fine… This was bound to happen sooner or later. I mean, we take SHOWERS together. Besides, it didn't affect me that mu—_

_Oh. _Jak thought. The racer closed his eyes and brought a hand to his face. He started massaging his temples and sighed. The hero braced himself for a prospect that now seemed much scarier than fighting through a fully-infested cave in the wastelands. He opened his eyes and looked down.

"FUC—" Jak cut himself off with a cough in an attempt to hide his shock. It didn't work, and Daxter's head shot straight up to resume much-needed Jak-watching activities.

There was no way around it, he was fully aroused—armed, and ready for combat. The racer shut his eyes and grit his teeth. _Precursors, WHY? Why me? Why now?_

"Sorry." Dax said. "I didn't mean ta—"

"No—no, no! Really, Dax, it's fine… It's my fault, I shouldn't just strip down in front of you like that… I mean, sometimes I don't think and I forget that you're a full-grown man—just as old as I am…"

Daxter's ears drooped at that, which for him, was a very sad reaction—one that wasn't lost on Jak.

"I-I didn't mean it like that. I mean, of course I think of you as human, you know that. It's just… Ah, damn." There Jak stood, naked, with a hard-on for his best friend, and essentially begging forgiveness for something he said. *This* was not lost on Daxter. The ottsel laughed.

"It's okay, Jak. Heh, man… Let's just forget about this and get clean, alright? Besides, if I were human right now," Dax nodded in the direction of Jak's crotch. "You'd see that I'm pretty much in the same boat."

Jak's eyes widened. He felt a familiar ache in his groin and then shook his head to get rid of the image. _Calm down, calm down, calm your goddamn self down!_

This was good. Daxter just handed him a 'get out of jail free' card, and he was going to take full advantage of it. Ignoring the rather large... *obstacle* between his legs, Jak threw back the shower curtain, scooped Daxter up, and plopped him onto his shoulder. Then the racer kneeled on the bathtub floor and said "Hot."

Dax knew exactly what that meant and turned the faucet so that a steady flow of warm water rained down from above them. The ottsel then buried his face in Jak's neck until his friend stood up enough that he could avoid getting water in his eyes. This was a regular occurrence, but Jak was never this horny when they bathed together, so he shuddered at the contact and barely stifled a moan. _I don't know how you do this to me…_

When Dax opened his eyes, the first thing he did was look down. Jak was definitely…excited, alright. But it was more than just sexual tension that spurred the ottsel on. He wanted to look because he was… well, curious. He had barely seen himself like that at all before that fateful day on Misty Island. Jak's erection looked so intense, and it was like no other part of his body. Daxter noticed how the skin along his friend's shaft was a little darker than the rest of his body, and how the tip looked a little swollen and pink. Orange Lightning felt his face grow hot, which was the closest thing to a blush that he could manage, and looked up for a moment to give himself a chance to calm down.

"This is… Ah, hrm… I mean, I should—I should probably go." Dax murmured.

As the ottsel turned to leave, Jak reflexively moved to stop him. He grasped his furry friend by his haunches and held him in place with one hand. The smaller of the two stood frozen in shock, and Jak's eyes widened when he realized he had no clue what he wanted, or even what he should say. _Think, think, THINK! _The racer's thoughts screamed so loud that he almost thought he had heard them.

"Think what?" Daxter asked, his curiosity having gotten the better of him.

_So I really WAS thinking out loud… _Jak noticed. That didn't make it any easier to face what seemed to be on both of their minds at the moment. Dax decided to take the matter into his own hands.

"Look, Jak, it's fine. We're both adults—and virgins, to boot. Of *course* yer gonna get a little excited when ya haven't gotten any in over twenty years. I know the feelin' all too well, babe." Jak tensed. Dax sighed.

"Hey, I'll tell you a secret. Ya know how sometimes you stroke my back, shoulders, and tail, I freak out and beg ya ta stop? Well, it's not so much that I feel too sensitive so much as that I feel too…" The ottsel paused for effect. "*Good*. One time, you ignored me for so long that I almost came."

And with that, Orange Lightning left his friend's shoulder. Jak stood there, paralyzed from shock for what seemed like an eternity until his mind-numbing state of self-inflicted torture (or bliss, he couldn't really decide) was interrupted by the cascade of frozen water that had begun impaling his back, giving birth to countless goose bumps across the racer's lean body.

"Aaaah, *DAX*!" Jak shouted out of frustration. The water was really cold! He smiled to himself, though, because in reality, it was a huge favor.

Meanwhile, Dax was rolling around the bedspread in an effort to dry himself off. Eventually, he calmed down and decided that the best way to kill *his* excitement... was to flip on the television and watch G.T. Blitz talk about how much he adores himself.

_Works every time. _Dax mused. By the time Jak had finished his shower, the ottsel had already fallen asleep.

**Outtakes:**

**Dax:** Oh and Jak! In my dream, when I was human, I was totally ripped!  
**Jak:** Uh-huh.  
**Dax:** And I was tall, Jak! Taller than you!  
**Jak:** Uh-huh. Sure, Dax.  
**Dax:** No, I'm serious. I was even taller than Sig!  
**Jak: **Okay, now you're just lying.

-/-

**Dax:** Let's get French toast. Or, no, no, no, wait! Eggs and an English muffin!  
**Jak: **What does "French" mean, anyway? And "English?"

-/-

**Jak: **_He has no idea how cute he can be. _*looks at Dax*  
**Dax:** *bats eyes innocently*  
**Jak:** _Wait, never mind, he thinks he's fluffles on wheels._

-/-

**Jak**: No. When the waitress comes I'll order something to drin—  
**Waitress**: Good morning, gentlemen! My name is—  
**G.T. Blitz**: Not important!  
**Jak**: *guards Dax defensively* *backs away slowly*

— _30 minutes later_—

**G.T. Blitz**: I love you, Pumpkin. *throws voice* I love you, Honey Bunny.  
**Dax**: Um… Who is he talking to?  
**G.T. Blitz**: Alright, everybody be cool, this is a robbery! *throws voice* Any of you fucking pricks move, and I'll execute every motherfucking last one of ya!

— _some time after that_—

**Dax**: I want you to go in that bag, and find my wallet.  
**G.T. Blitz**: Which one is it?  
**Dax**: It's the one that says Bad Motherfucker.

-/-

**Dax**: Besides, if I were human right now,  
*nods in the direction of Jak's crotch*  
**Dax**: You'd see that I'm in a similar, although probably much larger boat.  
*Jak's eyes widen… with rage*


	4. Confusion

**AN:** I can't believe I took so long to update. You'll forgive me, though. Won't you? Thanks to all of you for reviewing! Thanks to sillynekorobs for continuously pushing me to work on this. For a while, I've been a little out of it. I recently suffered from a bad cold and my boyfriend's mother also passed away, but I've been procrastinating this for much longer than it's taken me to get over those things. My sincerest apologies. On with the fic!

**Disclaimer: **Jak and Daxter are the property of Naughty Dog, Inc. I'm borrowing them.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

_What time is it?_ Jak wondered to himself.

The racer felt as though he were stuck in this moment for some inordinate amount of time, a period he couldn't even begin to determine. The hours seemed to crawl by as if they had decided that tonight was the night they'd finally slow down and enjoy themselves. Instead of slipping into an exhaustion-induced coma, Jak found himself suspended in time, and rather than pondering the consequences of tomorrow's actions, the hero found himself thinking about his recent past. _Daxter_.

It always came down to this… to _him_. _Things seem to have changed… Now that we've come to this strange city. _Jak rubbed his eyes. As he lay there in the dark, he found himself staring at his best friend, whose sleeping form was little more than a soft shadow, but an easily distinguishable one, all the same.

The longer he thought, the more Jak came to wonder whether something wonderful had begun to bloom. Now that he had given himself a chance to calm down, everything had started to seem more… _natural_, than strange. But what about _him_?

_Dax…_ Jak groaned inwardly with mounting frustration. He was tired of being left in the dark, always wondering… The hero couldn't help but hope that maybe he wasn't the only one going mad over the state of his sexual desires.

_Dax really has been… __**touching**__ me a whole lot more lately. I wouldn't get so… excited… if it weren't for the fact that he's so comfortable with close contact all the time. _The racer sighed.

_I mean… Maybe it's all in my head, but, he definitely… stroked me… during the race._ Jak blushed at the recollection.

_At first I thought he was just scared, but it doesn't take an idiot to notice a pattern. It only happened at that one part of the track—that huge jump… By the third time around, I was actually expecting it._ He closed his eyes.

The racer was curious. He had finally overcome the initial fear that had driven him away from exploring his feelings—both physical and emotional—for his best friend and partner in crime. _And the way he just kept looking at me in the shower… Precursors, I was already so hard. His unblinking stare felt way more intense than any actual contact we've shared throughout our lives together._ Jak shook his head. It seemed wrong to nurture curiosities of _this_ nature.

_It did feel good, though… No—it felt __**great**_. The room started to feel a little warm. In a fit of boldness, Jak reached down and confirmed the existence of the rather obtrusive bulge in his pants. Despite the fact that Daxter lay asleep merely two feet away, and that all he had to do was open his little ottsel eyes to know exactly what was going on, the racer began touching himself. He could only hope that his best friend would never find out about this, or that Daxter would forgive him in the event that he did.

_But what does Dax feel?_ Jak thought._ I mean, I know he had a little trouble dealing with the news about Tess… Could that be why he's been paying more attention to me lately? Maybe he—_"Unhh…" Jak groaned softly.

_Maybe he's lonely, and it's making him all touchy-feely with me._ Jak frowned at that thought, and turned his head in toward his pillow, mostly in an effort to stifle the little cries that always seemed to escape._ I don't know what to think, anymore._ Jak admitted to himself.

And then time seemed to start moving again. Jak found himself feeling as though he had just awakened from a pleasant afternoon nap. It seemed like several hours had passed.

_What time is it?_ Jak thought. Light was shining in through the window behind him, but the sun hadn't risen all the way.

_I don't remember falling asleep…_ He thought about what he had been doing.

_Ah, right… Did I…?_ Jak's thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Did ya finish gettin' yerself off?" _Woah—Dax?_ Jak leaned forward and scanned the room for any trace of his furry best friend. He heard footsteps coming from the bathroom.

"Uh… Ahem" Jak coughed nervously. He laid on his back and began fidgeting, rubbing his feet against one another. By the sounds of it, the ottsel had been brushing his teeth.

"What?" The racer called out, feigning ignorance in the feeble hope that it would work. Dax left the bathroom to facilitate their conversation, and what Jak saw nearly made his eyes fall out of his head.

_A hu-human? D-D-Dax… When? WHEN did THIS happen ?_ Jak swallowed his words and simply stared, wide-eyed and in shock. It was then that he realized that his very human best friend was… _very naked_.

Daxter simply stood there with a hand on his hip and a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. "Are you CRAZY? I woke up because I heard ya say my name, and it turned out that you were lovin' yourself so hard that ya forgot to keep yer mouth shut." Dax cast him a look of exasperation.

"Wait, WHAT?" Jak nearly shouted in disbelief.

"I-I did—I did _that_?" The racer seemed to have lost his mind. Dax heard him mumble "Fuck!" along with several other obscenities, and couldn't help but smile.

"You… really don't remember, do ya, Jak?" Dax sighed.

"Well, you _did_ seem really out of it… Chalk it up to overexcitement and sleeplessness. When you realized that I had caught you—which wasn't really that difficult, seein' as how you did it in the middle of our bed and I was sleepin' right next to ya—you panicked and tried to leave or somethin'. You seemed terrified of me." The redhead walked over to Jak and sat down on the edge of the bed. He ran his fingers through the racer's hair and went on.

"An' anyway, I thought 'this is exactly what I've been waitin' for,' so I wrapped my arms around yer neck and… We, um…" It was Daxter's turn to blush.

"What?" Jak asked, a little calmer this time.

"We kissed. You really don't remember any of this? It was just a few minutes ago—I mean, I know you're weird, but for precursors' sakes, ya really forgot?" His voice was laced with disappointment.

"Well anyway, we kept, ya know, kissin', and then you laughed and told me I have morning breath." The redhead explained. Jak giggled.

"Hey!" Daxter reached around Jak's sides and prepared to tickle him, but Jak grabbed him and rolled the skinny redhead onto the bed and under his clutches. The racer was about to unleash his famous tickle attack when he realized that his best friend lay flushed beneath him, stark naked and with a toothbrush in his mouth. Jak relented and backed off like Daxter was made of dark eco.

"Lemme go spit this out." Dax said. Jak nodded silently. As he pondered the situation a bit more, he wondered what was going to happen when Daxter finished brushing his teeth. Was his best friend planning to resume activities that he himself couldn't remember engaging in? The racer felt his face grow hot as he tried to ignore the familiar ache in his groin.

Jak heard his friend close the water valve for the last time before Dax sauntered back out into the main living quarters. Jak simply laid there, tense, clothed, and with his eyes snapped shut out of pure trepidation. Apparently, this spoke to the animal in Daxter, as he crawled onto the bed bearing a predatorial grin.

By the time Dax had begun his descent unto Mt. Jak, the racer had already forgotten the cause of his anxiety… And then the tickling started.

Orange Lightning's "down-the-shirt and under-the-arms" attack was one of the most effective tickling strategies that Jak had ever experienced, but this was unreal. Perhaps it was the element of surprise that left him so astonished and unready, not that the racer hadn't anticipated the maneuver, but that it had been years since a humanoid lifeform had been able to dominate him in this manner. It brought back old memories of long-forgotten tickle fights on the shores of Sentinel Beach around midnight, when the fun and games ended with two best friends gazing at the stars through wide, curious eyes.

And then something changed. As quickly as the onslaught of tickling commenced, the giggles and gasps for air took over until the room became silent once again. It was the sound of his now-steady breath that first alerted Jak to his best friend's proximity. Breathing quickly became kissing and steady quickly became tremulous as Daxter raised the racer's shirt to caress the man's sides and suckle lightly on the sensitive skin around his bellybutton. Jak found himself, once again, at a loss for words as these new sensations wracked his brain and forced his body to writhe and mewl at the pleasure of it.

"Why so quiet?" Dax peeked up to ask. The hero simply blushed and shrugged his shoulders. Dax decided to take that as a challenge, so he grinned widely and then grabbed hold of Jak's manhood, which had been supporting a small tent in his boxers.

"Nnnh, Dax!" Jak hissed as he bolted upright and began panting.

"Ha-haa! Not so quiet anymore, hmm?" Dax reveled in this newfound control.

The redhead leaned forward and crashed his mouth against the racer's. He was buck naked and standing on his knees, and as he snaked his arms around Jak's neck, his friend gasped. Jak was seeing what he had only ever dreamed of. Daxter's fully erect and aching-for-attention member stood only inches away from his own.

"_Precursors…_" Jak thought aloud. His groin twitched at the realization.

"What?" Dax questioned.

Jak didn't know what to say, but he found himself laughing as he lunged forward between his friend's legs and began wiggling out of his blue-and-gray plaid underwear. The racer began kissing the redhead so fiercely that he had to make a conscious effort not to mash their teeth together.

"Mnh, Daxter—" Jak started in the middle of a kiss.

"Nnh… Yeah, Jak?" The redhead used the opening to duck down below his friend's neck, and he began removing Jak's white undershirt by dragging it upward with his teeth. Then his right arm slithered between them and Dax found himself stroking the underside of Jak's shaft.

"F-fuck…" Jak moaned breathily.

"W-what I wanted to say was—" Jak closed his eyes and inhaled sharply as his friend's stroking turned into pumping and the redhead's teeth came a little too close to his left nipple.

"Ungh..." The racer groaned. He couldn't help but buck into his friend's grasp.

"Have I t-told you that I—" Jak stopped for a moment to hoist his shirt over his face.

The racer looked directly down into Daxter's eyes and smiled. Then he dove forward into the redhead's neck and whispered into his ear, "Have I told you that I love you lately?"

He never heard his friend's response.

Jak awoke so suddenly that he sat up where he lay. His heart rate had quickened, he was breathing heavily, and his hands were searching frantically for any sign of Daxter. The racer's breath hitched as he located the warm furball. Orange Lightning was situated fast asleep and between the hero's legs, but that wasn't the only thing in his lap…

_Ahh! NO!_ Jak thought, and he gingerly placed the ottsel on the pillow that lay opposite his own.

_It's fine. He's still asleep._ Jak reminded himself. He felt as though he were constantly humiliating himself. The racer decided to stretch his legs a little.

_What's WRONG with me lately?_ The green-blonde wondered. He found himself standing before the bathroom mirror with no recollection of his walk from the bedroom.

_I must be REALLY out of it._ Jak thought. Staring into the eyes of his reflection, he whispered to himself.

"What am I going to do?" The racer sighed. He grasped both sides of the porcelain sink and bowed his head. He needed to concentrate, to remember his dream.

_Heh… It felt so real. I don't even need to try. I won't be forgetting THAT trip anytime soon… _Jak flinched as if in pain.

_I think I meant what I said. Ugh, no. I KNOW I did. There's no question..._ After a few seconds of sulking, he chuckled darkly.

_I should have seen this coming._ Jak mused.

Once again, the hero looked himself directly in the eyes. "Dax," he murmured.

"I think I'm in love with you."

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

"Daaaax, wake up! Rise and shine, little guy." Jak bellowed. A pair of tiny pants landed squarely on top of the ottsel's head.

"Hrm?" Dax mumbled sheepishly. He rolled over onto his stomach and landed on top of his clothes.

"What's goin' on?" The ottsel spoke through a yawn. He rubbed his eyes before glancing at the alarm clock.

"Jak… It's only 8 o'clock. Take your clothes off and get back in bed." Dax grumbled.

The racer stared in shock. _Did he just say what I think he just said?_ Jak wondered.

"Okay, let me re-it-erate." Orange Lightning stood up to better deliver his message.

"It. Is. Too damn EARLY for you to be pullin' this kind of crap!" The ottsel was breathing wildly as he pointed an accusatory finger at the man before him.

"Well, my furry little friend," the hero placed an emphasis on the "furry" part when he ruffled the hair on the top of Daxter's head.

"In anticipation of your… _rude awakening_, I made you this." With that, the racer revealed the cup of coffee he had so expertly concealed behind his back, and the ottsel became putty in his hands.

"I love you, you know that?" Dax whispered and cooed to the mug of warm liquid. He had almost forgotten that only moments ago, he had found himself sound asleep, happily reliving an old memory in a dream. _Almost_.

"Hey, Jaaak—now that I've been… _appeased_, for what reason have you interrupted my oh-so-eventful dreams?" The ottsel cracked a smile before taking another sip of his treasured coffee.

"Dreams." Jak muttered to himself as he gazed at the wall. _Looking at him now, it all seems so surreal._

"HELL-O! Earth ta Jak!" Dax shouted. He was waving his hands in front of the racer's face.

"Oh—ah, sorry Dax. What, um—what were your dreams about?" The hero asked. As distracted as he sounded, Jak really was curious to know what went on inside his best friend's head.

"Tess." The ottsel beamed proudly.

"I was relivin' the time she hugged me so tightly that I almost suffocated in her rack! Hehehe, not a bad way to go, if I do say so myself." Jak slumped his shoulders and took a seat on the chair next to their bed.

_Woah, what's with HIM? He was like a bouncy cheerleader a few minutes ago._ Dax noticed.

"Hey, uh—Jak… Did _you_ have any dreams last night?" The ottsel asked.

_Maybe if I engage him in conversation, he'll perk right up._

"No." The racer lied.

_Maybe not…_

"Anyway, Dax, we have another race today. You wanted to know why I woke you up early?" Changing the subject seemed like the best idea.

"Already?" Dax whined. "But I haven't even started making the repairs!"

"Actually, Keira called earlier—that's how I woke up, and she said she's already working on it." Jak explained.

Daxter nodded his head in recognition and downed the rest of his drink. "What else do we have ta do before the race?" The ottsel questioned.

"Why, I'm glad you asked." The racer said. "While _you_ help Keira finish those repairs, _I_ am going to study the new track about ten times harder than I did last time."

"What're you talkin' about, Jak? You did GREAT on the last run!" Dax reminded him.

"Yeah, I thought so, too, but it turns out that I was really unprepared for that big _jump_. You know the one I'm talking about?" Jak flashed a mischievous grin. If Daxter COULD blush, he would.

_Caught red-handed, eh?_ Orange Lightning chuckled to himself.

_Oh well, it was totally worth it! _Dax decided. Then he lifted his empty cup toward Jak and made a pouty face. His friend got the message.

"Not until you get dressed and come sit at the table. I'm making breakfast, and once you're finished eating, we're outta here." Jak smiled and retreated to their hotel room kitchenette.

"Oh, and Dax?" Jak called from across the room.

"Yeah, buddy?"

"Pancakes, or French toast?" The racer asked.

"How about pancakes _and_ French toast?" Dax answered a question with a question.

"Hahaha, alright, have it your way. You better be getting ready, though!" Jak started cooking, Dax made himself decent for the outside world, and so began another long day.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

"Tessy, _baby_, long-time no-see." The ottsel chirped happily over the communicator. They were in a car on the way to the garage and Daxter was catching up with an old friend.

"Hi, Daxxie. I'm a little busy right now!" Jak snorted at her response.

_Too busy? Figures. They haven't talked in days and this is her reaction? And what's with Daxter? Isn't he still upset at her? What was with that dream he said he had?_ Jak scowled.

"Well, I guess I could get somebody to cover my shift for a few days—but I'd have to pay them extra for their trouble! We can't just close the place down every time you wanna play in another city, ya know." She smiled into the comm.

Wondering what he had missed, Jak nudged the ottsel on the shoulder and mouthed the words, "What's going on?"

Dax lowered the phone and shielded the receiver with his free hand before whispering, "I invited Tess to the next couple of races—there's plenty of room for her to stay in the garage." The racer would have had to feign choking to mask the oncoming growls. Daxter just took a sidelong glance at his friend and sighed.

_Damn, Jak. The way he's grippin' that wheel, it's bound to implode. Is he… GROWLING? And I thought I was the animal! I'll have ta ask him about it lat—_

"Sweetie, are you listening to me?" Tess must have propped her communicator on a dresser or table because both of her hands were on her hips.

"Oh, ah, yeah hon'. What's up? You gonna start packin' or what?" Dax asked.

"How romantic." She said flatly. "Are you sure you really want me to head over there? What about Jak, is it okay with him?" Dax turned to face his driver and best friend.

Jak's response was to mouth the word "NO" as dramatically as he could muster. Dax turned the communicator to face him as well, and the racer was all but cornered.

"Hi Tess." Jak spoke through gritted teeth and a fake smile.

"Hey Jak! Daxxie invited me to come watch the next couple of races. Are ya sure I won't get in the way or anything?" Before Jak could open his mouth in response, the ottsel reconquered the comm and commandeered the conversation.

"Of COURSE you won't be in the way, Tessykins! Besides, you're our resident munitions expert. There are some really hard gangs out in these parts. I almost got killed on my first night!"

"Alright, Dax, you got me convinced. Lemme just make a few calls and I'll be on the next transport outta here. See you tonight, then!" She blew a little kiss before the communicator went black.

Dax turned to his sulking friend.

"So, uh, _jealous_ much?" The ottsel laughed.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Jak spoke gruffly.

"Only that you haven't stopped brooding for ten seconds since I got on the phone with Tess! Really, what is WITH you?" Dax retaliated.

"She seemed a lot friendlier than the last time you talked. Did something happen?" The hero had finally started to relax.

"No, we haven't talked. She's just like that, I guess. Heh…" The ottsel leaned into the car door.

Jak eventually gathered the courage to speak his mind. "Listen, Dax. Isn't this the same thing that caused your misunderstanding in the first place?"

Dax sighed. "I wonder if she's capable of talking without flirting."

They sat in silence for a while.

"Jak?" Dax piped up.

"Hmm." The racer kept his eyes on the road.

"Heh, well… What I mean to say is, you don't have ta worry about me. I'm way over Tess, ya hear?" And then he added, in the tiniest of voices, "Besides. I like someone else now."

Jaks eyes grew to twice their size and Daxter's face grew hot. Neither of them dared look at one another, and neither man knew what REALLY had his counterpart so unsettled.

Jak coughed to clear his throat, and changed the subject to clear his mind.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

"Hey guys, how's it hangin'?" Keira's oil-stained dimples smiled at them from the floor. She had rolled out from beneath their car to say hello.

"Not bad." Jak lied. There was no point in ruining anyone else's mood.

"How's the car?" Dax chimed in. As upset as he just was, the mechanic in him was still a little curious.

"I'm finishing her up right now." Keira beamed. She was proud of her work.

"I gotta say, though—you sure do have impeccable timing." Her smile grew into a sideways grin.

"Got here _just in time_ to see me _finish_ the work, so there's nothing left to help with, eh?" The young tomboy winked in Jak's direction and threw a towel over her shoulder.

With no real excuse for their tardiness, Jak opted to remain silent. Daxter noticed, so he asked, "If yer all done, does that mean we can take 'er for a test drive? After I conduct a _thorough inspection_, of course." Dax folded his arms across his chest and grinned.

Keira had already opened her mouth to respond when someone interrupted. "Actually, no."

Jak, Daxter, and Keira each groaned inwardly. _Not HIM!_

"Today we're hosting the tournament's only team-building exercise up until the start of this afternoon's race! It'll help you… get to _know_ your enemies." Explained the obnoxious announcer.

"Excuse me, Mr. Blitz. Pardon the intrusion, but our arena contract and lease clearly state that each team be allowed complete privacy in their own garages. Doesn't this leave us open to… _sabotage?_ As this team's sponsor, I must object." Rayne had come to their rescue.

"And, Ms. _Krew_, you have conveniently ignored the statements appending the bottom of both your arena contract and lease entitling the tournament council some discretion when it comes to bending the rules. We assure you, any sabotage will meet _harsh _repercussions. Additionally, you _are_ permitted to secure your vehicles prior to receiving any… _guests_." The Blitzman's lawyers obviously briefed him on this one.

"Besides," the portly monkaw had to add, "there's nothing wrong with making a few friends!"

"Pecker, I thought we agreed that I do the talking, hmm?" G.T. hissed under his breath.

"Fine. When do we begin?" Rayne asked. Dax couldn't help but admire how she always remained so businesslike.

"Have your garage doors unlocked and opened by 11 o' clock." The announcer leered wickedly.

As the obnoxious man with questionably shiny blonde hair approached the exit, Pecker turned on his shoulder and called out to them. "Don't worry, guys! How bad could it be?" And with that, they were gone.

Rayne began relocating their maps and tactical data, and Jak turned to face Keira once again. "So, I guess Daxter's inspection will have to be good enough, then."

"Let's just hope we don't explode as soon as the engine ignites!" The ottsel remarked.

Keira rolled her eyes. "If there's nothing else, I've got a shower to take."

Jak had begun to turn around when he felt Daxter's nails fall gently against his scalp. "Keira! Actually, I forgot to mention… You've been staying here at the garage, right?" Orange Lightning began.

"Yeah, it's the only way I can start repairs early enough and still get some sleep, why?" She replied.

"Mind bunking with Tess fer a few days? She'll be here this afternoon." The ottsel asked.

Keira smiled at the thought. "It's been over a week since we've hung out."

Rayne's interest piqued upon hearing the news. "Did you say Tess is coming? Oh my, I'll have to call! She was my best friend as a little girl and I haven't seen her in _ages_!" The blue-haired woman was positively glowing.

Jak raised an eyebrow at that. _Who would've guessed? At least Tess will have someone else to pay attention to, and Dax won't have to beat himself up so much._

Daxter, on the other hand, looked like a kid in a candy store. He was currently drooling over images of Keira and Rayne fighting over Tess with pillows, _in their underwear_.

"So it's okay with you, Keira?" Dax questioned.

"Yeah, my bed is too big for me, anyway." Keira laughed.

"Nonsense! My bed is even BIGGER. Have you ever seen an empress-sized mattress? My suite is directly upstairs, so why don't BOTH of you stay with me?" Rayne looked like a _fat _kid in a candy store.

Keira flashed them her biggest grin yet and simply nodded in agreement.

Rayne beckoned for the cute mechanic to follow her upstairs. "Come on, take a bath in my Jacuzzi! The boys and I will move your bags so you'll have something to change into once you've finished."

The ottsel barely overheard the rest of their conversation as they walked down the hall.

"Wow, Rayne! This is really nice of you. I was _wondering_ why you always seemed to pop in and out so frequently! I just figured it was because you own the team or something."

In the meantime, Jak headed into Keira's old room. "Hey, Dax, looks like we can stay here if we ever need to."

"And bunk with Samos? I don't think so! Where is that old geezer, anyway?" The ottsel remarked.

"That OLD GEEZER you were just talking about is RIGHT HERE, boys! Why, don't you have any respect for your elders? For precursors' sakes, who _raised_ you like that?" Their friend's dad exited the bedroom adjacent to Keira's.

"Who raised us like that, Jak?" The hero shrugged. Daxter went on. "Oh, wait. Now that I think of it—it was YOU, old man!"

Jak bit back a snicker and Samos fumed. "WHAT? Why, I NEVER!"

"Relax, Samos. Daxter's just being himself. You know he doesn't mean anything by it." Jak successfully mediated the feud.

"At any rate, you boys are NOT welcome to stay in this apartment. That bed is for my little princess, and I sleep in the other room. Hmph!" The short man with the tall shoes looked awfully smug.

"Oh, didn't you hear? Tess is comin' over and Rayne invited Keira an' her to sleep in _her_ bed. Throw Ashelin into the bunch and that's a picture _I'd_ like ta see." Orange Lightning winked candidly, and then Jak shielded him from the brunt of Samos's staff.

"WAHH! It was only a joke, fer cryin' out loud!" Dax cowered behind Jak's ear.

"Hmm, so my darling will be sleeping with Ms. Rayne from now on." Said Samos.

"That's actually why _we're_ here—to transfer her stuff." Jak added.

"Well, you two don't have to worry about it. _I'll_ take it personally. I should talk to her, after all… Besides, I don't need that RAT sifting through her belongings!" He raised his voice.

"And you're STILL not allowed to sleep here! Now that Keira's gone, I can multiply my experiments in that room and sleep in her old bed. Now get out! Out!" The boys' surrogate father shooed them out of his two-bedroom suite.

"That's fine!" Daxter recoiled. "I like my privacy, anyway!" He shook his tiny ottsel fist at the back of Samos's door.

Jak laughed. "You like your privacy? Daxter, we've been sleeping in the same bed for as long as I can remember. Hell, since even _before_ you went ottsel."

Orange Lightning smiled at that, and in a quieter voice, he added, "Since even before you learned to talk." They both had a good laugh.

"Now," Jak said, "I figure we've got about an hour and a half before those doors open. Let's clean up the rest of our maps and strategy guides—even the ones on those napkins, and then we'll ask Rayne about the cars."

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

It took about an hour to "secure their vehicles," about forty minutes of which consisted of Jak babysitting Daxter so that he didn't barge in on Keira's bath. When Torn and Ashelin arrived, they helped push each of their cars to a remote area of the vast garage and erected a force field to protect them. Jak took the opportunity to relax.

"C'mon, Dax, give it up. Keira's not gonna let you scrub her back, ya dork." Jak had a sneaking suspicion that Keira might be the new object of his best friend's affection. While that made him a little sad, he knew in his heart that Daxter could do worse.

"Let's go explore! All I've seen is Keira's old room and that fancy bathroom down the hall! We didn't even _know_ that Rayne was living here… Actually, if Rayne's here, too, how come we're livin' offsite at that fancy hotel?" The ottsel wondered aloud.

_Because it's safer. I told her that I wouldn't do ANYTHING unless she could guarantee your safety._ "I dunno." Jak lied. Unfortunately, lying seemed to be part of the day's motif.

"Well I guess Ashelin and Torn are living outside of the garage, too. Probably so they don't interrupt anyone's sleep with all the _love_ they're makin'." Dax commented.

Jak smiled. _I wish that was why WE had our own place._

"ONWARD!" Dax declared in a badly-masked "deep" voice. He was pointing down the dark hallway.

After passing the fancy bathroom, they came upon a large coat closet. Beyond that, there was one more room and a winding staircase leading up at the end of the passageway.

_Man, Samos must've had LOTS of fun carrying those bags up THAT._ Jak thought.

Before he knew it, the racer had opened the last door and forgotten to look inside. Daxter's reaction was enough to bring him back to the present, however, and he started with a long whistle. "WOW. Jak, look! Flick that light on. This room is HUGE! There's like a whole gym in here. And look—a POOL! JAK! This is great!" The ottsel had crawled on top of Jak's head and inadvertently dug all of his claws into the racer's scalp.

Before Jak could peel his best friend away from his hair, Orange Lightning leaped forward and started to unbuckle his little belt. "Oooh, Jak! Please, please, please, PLEASE, PLEEEEASE say we can go swimming! We have a little time before those goons show up, come on!" The ottsel pleaded.

"Daxter, they're going to be here in less than twenty minutes, so the answer is 'NO.'" Jak knew he wouldn't hear the end of this.

Daxter was about to break out the puppy eyes when Jak started up again. "However, I know you miss swimming and we haven't done it in a long time, _so_ I'll bring you back the next chance we get, okay? Also, I'm sure our hotel has a pool, as well. We can probably go tonight if you want."

That seemed to assuage Daxter's disappointment for the time being. "Alriiiight." The ottsel re-buckled his pants and resumed his position on Jak's shoulder. They turned out the lights and left the room quietly.

On their way back through the dark corridor, they bumped into somebody. "Oof, sorry!" It was Rayne.

"Hey, guys." And by the sound of it, Keira.

"Listen babe, you really oughta see about installing some lights down here." The ottsel remarked.

"Did he just call me '_babe_'? How crude! You're lucky Father isn't still around. Hehe." Rayne giggled. It was nice to know that _someone _still saw her as a woman.

"Hey, Rayne?" Jak asked.

"What do you need?" She responded.

"Oh, I was just wondering—what's that gym for? And the pool? Daxter and I might wanna go for a swim sometime." Jak wondered.

"Ah, yes—of course! The gym and pool are largely for training purposes. My guards use them to work out, but I believe the original intent—regarding the pool, at least, was to provide physical therapy for badly-injured racers." Rayne explained.

"Anyway, you two are welcome to use it at any time—although you may find more privacy and nicer accommodations at the pool and sauna in your hotel. Whatever you like, it's up to you." She added.

_Again with privacy. What is she implying?_ Jak thought.

When the four of them made it into the light, Jak's breath hitched, and Daxter's jaw all but fell through the cement flooring.

"DAMN, girl!" Ashelin was the first person to speak. Jak could feel his friend's heart rate skyrocket against the side of his head.

Rayne must have lent Keira some clothing for the afternoon. Their lifelong friend had rescinded her tank top, suspenders, and boots for a beautiful yellow sundress that featured a modest halter top and came down to the middle of her thighs. She looked cute to say the least. She also wore a pair of silver dangling earrings and an adorable straw sunhat.

"Daxter, will you be alright helping Torn and Ashelin with any last repairs? Keira doesn't want to get all dirty once again." Rayne requested.

"Sure thing." The ottsel paused as if he were thinking of what to say next. Sure enough, he added, "Keira—" but was cut-off by his friend.

"You look _really_ pretty." The racer finished.

"Thanks, guys." Keira was all smiles, and now she was blushing. "I wonder what Daddy will say."

Jak walked away while Torn and Ashelin moved in to talk to the girls. He found the furthest chair and sat down.

"What was that about?" Dax whispered. He sounded a little annoyed.

"I-I dunno, I just got scared for some reason." Jak responded in an equally unobtrusive tone of voice.

"Scared of what?" The ottsel was confused. _Oh, wait. OH! DUH, Jak likes Keira, but he doesn't feel right flirting with her because of that promise he made me not to date anyone until I get back in the game._

"Don't worry about it, big guy. I understand." Dax said.

"You DO?" Jak questioned. "I'm not sure I even understand it myself."

"You obviously have the hots fer Keira, ya big idiot." Dax sounded a little disappointed.

"Oh, ho, ho—_NO_, Daxter. I definitely don't care about Keira like _that_." She didn't even turn him on. _You're thinking about yourself, Dax._ After that, Jak didn't feel like talking for a long while.

Looking at his best friend, Daxter was trying to understand what was going through his mind. If he wasn't in love with Keira, then why did Jak try to keep him from finishing his sentence?

_I wonder what IS wrong with ol' Jakky-boy these days. First he got all worried about my dreams this morning, and then he brought up that prank I pulled on him yesterday afternoon. Yeesh, talk about holding a grudge! For precursors' sake, I didn't even expect him to really notice, let alone react that strongly. He must pay more attention to me than I realized. He was probably worried about my safet—AH, that's it, isn't it? My little stunt put us in danger. I should've known. I'll have to apologize to him later; I won't make that mistake twice… and especially not three times in a row! Hahaha, that WAS a riot, wasn't it? He should've seen his face, man, I tell ya. But really, I wonder what's got him so serious lately. _

The ottsel was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the representative from Mizo's team introduce himself to the others.

_He seemed annoyed that I said I dreamt of that time I choked between Tess's boobs, but what was I gonna say? That I dreamt I was human again? That I have almost every night since the first time? That "you had your thing in my mouth, and… I liked it"? Trust me, we're all happier pretending to asphyxiate in Tessy's bra. That's what actually GAVE me the idea ta call her up in the first place! At least she'll provide a worthy distraction. Who'd imagine that I'd have moved on so quickly? Poor Jak, though. When this racing business is through, I'm gonna ask him ta REALLY help me change back—ta make that our priority one, and once I do, well… Then maybe I can start tellin' him about these dreams I've been havin'._

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

"Daxter, can you come over here for a minute?" It was Ashelin.

"Be right there." The ottsel was getting up from his spot on the sofa for the first time since Jak set him down, which was unusual in and of itself, but especially so now that more than a few guys from Mizo's team had arrived.

_He must be pretty down. Later on, I'll tell him what happened and I bet he apologizes up and down._ Dax smiled inwardly at that.

"What do ya need, Ashe?" Orange Lightning asked.

"Can you take a look under there and make sure everything's alright? Keira usually checks Torn's work, and I hear you're her replacement. He gets a little… _distracted_ when he's working."

Daxter gave an exasperated sigh and continued to crawl beneath the vehicle. "You know, maybe Torn wouldn't get so _distracted_ if a certain _somebody_ didn't pull her thongs up so high that it's a wonder she doesn't hurt herself."

"WHAT?" Ashelin stormed off to retrieve Torn. She was fully confident in her Daxter-pounding abilities, but she'd rather have Torn with her in case Jak found out—which he inevitably would.

Daxter talked to himself for company. No one could really hear him unless they stood right outside the force field, anyway.

"At least _Keira_ knows how to dress like a lady! Hmmph. Ugh, this IS shoddy work. Damn it, I should just let her get into an accident. Where's my wrench?" A cold hand reached under and passed it to him.

"Thanks. I mean, yeesh. Why should I help her with repairs? I probably have to double-check _Torn's_ car right after this." The ottsel quieted down as he got to work, but after a while, he couldn't help but notice the smell of smoke.

"Alright, we're all good here. I wish I could start up the engine just to make sure, but Samos said no igniting the dark eco in tight places like this one. Ah, well." The ottsel crawled out from under the vehicle and headed directly for Torn's. He didn't even notice the visitor leaning on Ashelin's car.

"I wonder what's up with Jak lately, though. He's been acting so weird." Dax thought aloud.

"In vhat vay?

"Well, for example," he found the same problems with Torn's vehicle, and was already moving to repair them. "Earlier, he blurted out in front of everyone that he thought Keira was pretty. He said it to her face, no less! So I figured, Jak likes her. What's not to like? She's a beautiful woman. But when I asked him about it, he said he's not interested in her and laughed, like that wasn't even close to what he was thinking. The only thing I could imagine was that maybe he thinks I like Keira but that it's too soon after my failed relationship with Tess to start anything, and he was protecting me from possible rejection…" He liked talking to his inner voice.

"Vait a moment, vhy vould you zhink _zat_?" His inner voice with the weird accent…

"Because before Jak told Keira that she looked nice, I was about to tell Keira that she looked nice. DUH. Anyway, as strange as it sounds, and as much as I appreciate the female form, I think the person I wanna spend the rest of my life with is… _Jak_. I thought it was strange when I first realized it, but after about two seconds, I realized that it made more sense than anything else. I just can't figure out why he's so miserable right now. I'm pretty sure it's my fault, but I don't know what I did wrong…" Daxter trailed off at that point.

Then something strange happened. A cigarette butt landed on the floor behind his head, and when he turned to see who left it, there was no one there. _Weird._ Daxter simply shrugged it off and finished tinkering with Torn's car. He would need that swim a lot sooner than expected if this kept itself up.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

Jak scanned the room for his best friend. _Ah, that's right. He's working on repairs for Ashelin. I really shouldn't have left him for so long. I wish Rayne didn't have to introduce me to almost EVERY other racer._

The hero noticed an unfamiliar man taking strides away from the force field. When the man came further into the view, the realization hit him. "Hello." The man said, as he lit a cigarette.

"My name is Razor. And you must be ze infa—"

"Jak. I've seen you before. You threatened Daxter at that bar a few nights ago. What were you doing near that force field?" Jak could feel the anger coursing through him.

"Vhat_ever_ do you mean? I vas simply giving myself a tour of your _impressive_ garage." He said.

"Did you threaten him again? I have no qualms about killing you, old man." Jak was all but grinding his teeth in fury.

"Old man? Vell, zhen I guess you are not interested in vhat zis _old man_ has to say." Razor took another puff on his cigarette.

"_What_ are you talking about?" Jak was shaking, and his voice was barely above a whisper.

"Your leetle friend, Daxter, is it? Ze rat from ze bar. You zhink he is in love vith zat voman in ze yellow dress, but you are mistaken." The man closed his eyes to bask in the tension for another moment before continuing.

"You zhink you are best friends, and zat you know everyzhing about one another. Zis is not ze case. Have you ever stopped to consider zat _maybe_ young Daxter could fall for a _man_, like yourself?"

Jak was too shocked to move. Razor took one more drag on his cigarette, dropped it on the floor, and stamped it out. Then he walked away without another look in Jak's direction. The racer was now faced with more worries than ever before.

His last thought before heading over to retrieve his best friend was, _WHO is it?_

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**AN:** I don't have any outtakes because I wasn't feeling very silly this chapter. Maybe it's all of the guilt weighing me down that compels me to work on this until it's finished. Then I can procrastinate freely for a few weeks before the pressure begins to sink in once again. Hehehe.


	5. The Transformation

**AN:** One thing I wanted to point out is that I used the phrase, "human litter," referring to Jak. I was actually envisioning one of those Egyptian chairs that royals would sit in and men would carry—and when I looked it up, I learned that they were called litters. Litters are usually made of wood, but Daxter's is made of Jak. Hopefully that won't confuse anyone too badly. As always, thank you for the reviews.

**Disclaimer: **Jak and Daxter are the property of Naughty Dog, Inc. I just like toying around with them every now and then.

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Jak was numb. The racer that had just spent the entire morning in a huff because he suspected his best friend and love of his life of having grown eyes for the girl everyone expected _him_ to end up with—_only_ to be told that Dax may actually play for the other team. _His_ team, to be precise.

_FUCK. What in the precursors' names am I going to do? Fuck, fuck, FUCK! That asshole probably made a pass at Daxter… How can I confirm that, though? He's probably just lying to throw me off guard. Still, how could he know so much about us? It was like he rifled through my mind when I wasn't looking…_

Jak was scared.

_It's not like that many people have even SEEN Dax as a human. Aside from Keira and her dad, who else really even understands the depth of the situation? Even DAX has admitted that he can't really have a relationship with someone that's physically… incompatible. But a man, no less? UGH. I can't even stand the thought of it. Men are PIGS, doesn't he know that by now?_

And worried.

_Of course he knows that._ This was driving him _out_…

_He spent almost an hour trying to barge in on Keira's bath!_ Of.

_This whole thing is starting to sound a little far-fetched. _His.

_But still… How could Razor know so much? _MIND.

_Something must have happened that night in the bar. I knew it! I should never have let him leave the room. The one time we DIDN'T shower together and this is what I get. Fuck, fuck, FUCK._

With that, the racer stormed off toward the force field.

"Yo." He muttered nonchalantly.

"Um, _hello_ Jak." The ottsel replied. "I just finished making some adjustments to Torn's car. I'm about to double-check Keira's work on ours if ya wanna stick around."

"Okay." Jak murmured.

Daxter just shook his head and sighed. "You sure there's nothin' wrong with you? You seem downright depressed." The ottsel took one last look at him before crawling beneath their car.

"Just worried, I guess." The racer relaxed his muscles a bit, and raised his voice so that Daxter would hear him. "It's a big day."

"Yeah, I get ya. I really wish you could take this baby for a test drive. The configuration seems a little… _experimental_ if you ask me. Should go quite a bit faster, though. I think this mod amplifies the dark eco explosions somehow and ya get more bang fer your buck." Orange Lightning continued to work.

"Yeah." Jak responded meekly. "I think I'm a little worn out after having to mingle with all those racers. I should have said I had to stick with you and oversee repairs or something."

"Haha, like I need you to check my work-checking. Keira does a good job. Torn is the one ya should be worried about. His and Ashelin's mods look like they were assembled by a drunk, and I don't think she even _lets him_ drink." Dax smiled as he poked a head out from under the vehicle.

"Everything check out okay?" Asked the racer.

"Beautifully." The ottsel winked. "Alright, now why don't you give me a ride to the bathroom and I'll get cleaned up for the race?"

"Mm." Jak nodded.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

When the clean ottsel exited the bathroom upon his human litter, Rayne tapped her glass to signal a toast. Daxter noticed that there were a lot more people in the room since last time he checked.

"It looks like the entire racing circuit is here." The ottsel whispered to his friend.

Jak shuddered at the feel of warm breath against his neck. In a hushed voice, the racer responded. "Calm down, will ya, Dax?" He could feel Orange Lightning's heartbeat behind his right ear.

"Now that our lead racer has graced us with his presence—we have an announcement to make. In the spirit of sportsmanship, today's event has been switched from a race to something of a battle royale. You won't have to obliterate your opponents, but you must shoot, bash, and mine the other cars into submission. It may be cause for relief in some ways, as this afternoon's meet and greet has really cut into everyone's tactical planning time." Rayne elaborated.

Razor snorted at that. "Zat voman should speak for _herself_." He muttered. Jak shot him an angry glare before looking away. He knew Rayne wanted this to go smoothly.

The blue-haired woman in the center of the room began once again. "The race begins at 1400 hours. That gives you…" She tipped her watch into the light. "…Just over an hour to get back to your garages and drive your cars onto the field. While we were indulging in this _cocktail_ party, the tournament council ordered some last-minute additions to the grounds. Automated cannons along the perimeter will occasionally launch mines, which—as you all know, will explode on contact with any sort of eco. So that's all, and good luck!"

The sounds of all the other racers bidding their farewells melded into an ambient backdrop to Jak's unpleasant thoughts. He hadn't considered a change in the racing format. Besides, their car was just modified for _speed_, not endurance. _How on earth am I going to keep Daxter safe?_ He thought nervously.

Orange Lightning seemed to have read his mind, however, as he whispered into the racer's ear, "Don't worry, Jak. I'll be fine. Besides, the captain's gotta go down with his ship…"

"Just because you helped mod the car doesn't make you it's _captain_, whatever that means. I'm the driver, here." Jak smiled. The racer was in somewhat of a playful mood after all.

Dax leaned closer to Jak's ear before adding, "I wasn't talking about the car."

Before Jak had the chance to react, the ottsel leaped from his shoulder and scampered over toward Ashelin and Torn at the force field. "Excuse me, ladies. I'll just deactivate this baby for ya. One moment, please."

As Daxter looked at the generator, he couldn't help but notice that one of the wires had been severed… and then crudely reattached with electrical tape. "Didn't even take the time to solder…" The ottsel muttered under his breath.

Instead of drawing it to Jak's attention, Dax decided to avoid catastrophe and simply input the command codes Keira had transferred to him earlier that day. The racer appeared just in time to watch the force field disengage, so he took the opportunity to scoop Daxter back up onto his shoulder. The left one, this time.

"Here you are! I took the liberty of fine-tuning Torn's work installing the new mods onto his and Ashelin's cars, and ours seemed ready to go already. I'm a little worried, though." The ottsel explained.

"What do you mean, rat?" Torn barked.

"Sheesh! I'd expect fer you ta show me at least a little bit of gratitude every now and then. I should have left your car the way it was!" Dax started to work himself up.

"Ugh, calm down. Daxter, what are you talking about? What's got you worried?" Ashelin asked in an uncommon fit of cool-headedness.

"Well, Ashe… Ya see, yer car was modded to withstand more hits. The extra plating around your engine makes it much more resilient toward mines—and you won't face utter demise if you're hit with a missile head-on. You'd probably want to wave your white flag and run to safety, but out of everyone on this team, you're definitely the safest."

"I don't understand… Isn't that a good thing?" Ashelin pointed out.

"Yes and no. The _problem_ is that both Torn's car and the one me and Jak are ridin' in have been modded for speed. Keira actually REMOVED some of Jak's armor to facilitate a reduction in drag. I guess the idea is, 'Jak heads to the front and Torn acts as a human missile shield and backup in the event that Jak is taken out,' and Ashelin's basically a turtle—not much better than a stationary armored tank."

Dax paused for air.

"Now, that works GREAT in regular races, but in this battle royale situation… Not only are we gonna be pitted against one another, but _Ashelin's_ most likely to win." The ottsel took a rest by actually sitting on his friend's shoulder.

Jak inhaled deeply. "Alright, guys. Let's just agree—we don't take each other on unless everyone else is out of commission. No point in screwing our team's chances of getting ahead." The hero remarked.

"Right." Torn agreed.

"Yeah, gotcha." Said Ashelin.

With that out of the way, Jak left the two lovebirds to themselves and walked to a secluded corner of the room. It was just him, Dax, and a prickly-looking potted plant. "We need to talk." The racer confessed.

"What? Finally going to explain why you've been so out of it lately?" The ottsel straightened up where he sat.

"What? No! What are you talking about?" Jak was on edge. "No, Dax. I wanted to talk to you about this event—the battle royale? I think you should sit this one out."

"Not a snowball's chance in Hell." Orange Lightning was unyielding when it came to this issue. "I told you before, we're the Demolition Duo! Together 'til the end… Besides, you know I've been having nightmares about you getting into an accident." The ottsel clarified. His ears fell after having uttered that last admission.

"Look, Dax. No one cares more about you than I do. I feel like I'm being irresponsible… Maybe we can modify a helmet so that I can strap you inside—to shield you in the event that everything _does_ blow up in our faces." Jak was concerned.

"Look, maybe by the next race, we'll have figured something out. Right now, we need to get that car onto the field. We can argue about this while we're celebrating your win—sound good?" Daxter sounded hopeful.

Jak bought it, albeit reluctantly. "Fine. Grab your goggles and let's get out of here." The racer headed back to his car. Torn and Ashelin had already cleared theirs out, and they left the garage door open for him.

The racer climbed in through the window and searched the car seat before realizing that the key had already been inserted into the ignition. Daxter crawled into his lap so that he was sitting behind the seatbelt, leaned against Jak's belly and looked up expectantly as the racer ignited the engine. It seemed somehow that the motor was much louder than usual—which probably had more to do with the fact that parts of the hood had been removed than anything else.

Keira waved them toward the exit. "Come on, guys! What're you waiting for?" A wind blew by and she held on to the back of her hat with caution. The question was obviously rhetorical, though—as they were already on their way out.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

Their starting place was marked with a sign bearing their team's insignia. There was one for each participating member of each team, and they were evenly spread along the outside of what looked like an enormous motocross track. From the looks of it, Ashelin had the best chance at taking cover behind a large rock. "Figures." Dax sighed to himself.

"What?" Jak looked down through tinted goggles.

"Eh? Oh. I was just thinking that all the factors seem ta be linin' up against us this time around." Orange Lightning flashed a weak smile. "I'm sure we'll be fine." He added unconvincingly.

The racer placed a protective hand over the ottsel's chest and abdomen, effectively pinning the little guy to his own. "Don't worry," Daxter couldn't tell which was more soothing—the sound of Jak's voice or the feel of that gloved, callous hand caressing his upper body. "I'm not gonna let anything happen to you."

"Thanks." Dax murmured. _Wow, Jak. Way to replace my fear with an indescribable feeling of embarrassment! Damn it… Why does that have to feel so GOOD?_ The ottsel shuddered under the ongoing volley of touches and strokes.

And then suddenly, as soon as the Jak-induced state of bliss had begun, it met an abrupt end. "Why'd ya st—" Daxter started to say.

"Shh." The racer spoke gently and patted his friend for reassurance. The battle was about to begin.

Everyone turned their attentions to the billboard-sized big screen TVs and listened over the loudspeakers. "Listen up, racers and race fans, because I've got an exciting last-minute announcement to make… _a__fter_ the commercial break!"

"What NOW?" Rayne grumbled.

"Don't worry about it, honey. I'm sure it's no big deal." A feminine voice spoke from behind. Keira was the first to recognize who it was.

"TESS!" She ran forward and hooked an arm around the big-bosomed blonde's waist. "Someone's just been _dying_ to see you." The cute mechanic flaunted her devilish grin.

The blue-haired team leader was so excited that a steady flood of tears had graced her otherwise flawless visage. Rayne was beyond words as she flung herself into the warm embrace of her long, lost friend.

Meanwhile, G.T. Blitz was back on the air. "Welcome back ladies and gentlemen! " The Blitzman's voice bellowed across the loud speakers.

"And now for the special announcement!" Pecker flapped into the foreground of every television within 150 square miles.

"Ssh, you're such an imbecile!" Grumbled the monkaw's human co-host. The camera panned to a shot of an unfamiliar black racecar. "The news we've been waiting to tell you, folks, is that a new contestant has just entered the competition as part of Team Mizo. This _dark knight_ has opted to remain anonymous for the time being, so let's see how he performs in the pit!"

Echoes of the roaring crowd painted the atmosphere. It would sound more encouraging had they not been part of a community that revolved around watching others risk their lives in pointless displays of ego inflation day in and day out. _This is one place I could NEVER get used to._ Dax thought to himself.

Jak's heartbeat had slowed to a steady tempo—a beautiful cadence that Daxter usually only encountered when he curled up on top of the racer's chest at night. It was something that the ottsel didn't know how dearly he cherished before coming to this unusual city. He closed his eyes and embraced the calm.

But it didn't stay that way for long. The racer's pulse began to quicken as tournament staffers donning blue jumpsuits and wielding wooden clipboards made their last rounds. It seemed like nothing more than a glorified roll call, but Jak tensed all the same.

"It's going to start soon." The hero told himself.

The racer leaned against his window and scanned his surroundings. Cars were lined up so that team members were separate. Jak was just wondering how the other players dealt with the tension when he noticed the "dark knight" flick a cigarette out of his window. His mind flashed back to earlier, to Razor.

_Ugh, what a jerk that guy was. I had almost forgotten about that for a second… It's… it's stupid to let him get to me. I mean, what does he know? He's a racer that doesn't race, and he walks around in some sort of bath robe all the time…_ Jak pondered intently.

_What does he even DO for a living? He says he's a representative for Mizo's team, but what does that even mean? I've only ever seen him at parties and bars. Maybe he's an alcoholic… A washed up old drunk that goes around saying crazy things to everyone._ Jak mused.

_No. There was plenty of free booze at that party, and you didn't see him even TOUCH the champagne._ Argued the racer's mind.

_Well, he IS a chain smoker, that's for sure. I bet he even EATS with a cigarette in his mouth!_ Jak chuckled inwardly, having triumphed over his better judgment.

"Hey, Dax…?" The racer asked.

"Yeah, buddy?" His friend replied. Just as their eyes made contact, a horn sounded throughout the stadium.

"Sorry, Jak!" Dax shouted over the hum of last-minute commercial announcements. "Looks like it'll have to wait!"

Jak smiled weakly before nodding in agreement. The racer tightened his grip on the wheel and stared directly ahead in a half-hearted attempt to remain focused. It took a dose of Daxter's incessant wiggling to quell his anger and bring him back to the task at hand.

Meanwhile, the ottsel's mind was on anything _but_ their current mission. _Jak seems really tense again. I'm sure he'll calm down once we get started… I wonder if Tess made it here alright. Rayne looked really excited at the prospect of seein' her. That lady isn't so bad, really… She said we could use her pool! I'll have ta remind Jak to take me swimmin' later on. After this, we're really gonna need it… I'm tired of sittin' around. When are we gonna get this show on the roa—_

Daxter's thoughts were interrupted by a strong hand clasping his torso. "Ladies and gentlemen, ARE YOU READY?" _I guess that answers that._ Dax thought to himself.

Cheers from the crowd boomed over the stadium speakers loudly enough that the racers could hear. _They're just trying to psyche us out._ Jak reasoned. Dax couldn't tell if the vibration in the air was from the engine, the crowd, or a combination of both. His sensitive ears had already taken more than their fair share of abuse for one day.

"On your marks!" The crowd noise was replaced by the loud announcer. The ottsel braced himself against his best friend and protector.

"Get set!" Jak's right foot was hovering inches above the acceleration.

"GO!" The green-blonde floored it.

_We just need to outrun any missiles and hope we don't take much enemy fire._ The racer was finally beginning to think straight.

Some of the other cars had already engaged in combat. They were shooting so much that the mud they flung up had compromised their vision. When Ashelin did the same, Torn gave cover from off to the side, so they effectively double-teamed one of Mizo's men.

Jak was circling the perimeter as fast as he could go. The hero was bent on survival—Dax lay flush against his groin, and he didn't even flinch. Right then, Jak was worried more about the guy tailing him from halfway across the field.

The racer checked his rearview mirror. _Edje. Another one of those guys from that bar._ The green-blonde made a note to himself. _If it's a chase he wants, that's what he's going to get._ Jak was determined to make this work in his favor.

Edje caught on quickly enough. He launched one of his missiles, so Jak slowed down a little and allowed it to pass him—which was fortunate, because he might not have noticed the neat row of mines laid before him. _Looks like they didn't tell us EVERYTHING about this track._ Jak mused.

The green-blonde changed directions and went the way he had already come. Edje was set on finishing off his target and followed. He must have been a little too focused, however, as he ran into the very same set of mines that Jak had turned to avoid. With that, one more player was out of the game.

Unfortunately, the racer's victory was cut short by a disturbing message in his helmet's comm unit.

"Jak?" It was Rayne, and the signal was a lot fuzzier than he was used to. Daxter looked up from his lap as if to say, "What's going on?"—and he hoped the silent gesture was enough.

"I'm here." Paying attention to the road AND Rayne was more than a little nerve-wracking. Jak took a detour from his safe area to drop a few mines in the general playing field. He barely dodged another missile before their blue-haired blue-eyed team leader had gotten back to them.

"Woah, nice evade, hero! Anyway, Torn's out for good. He's okay. They said that if you're taken out, you should wait it out in your cars, unless you catch fire—in which case, they'll send a rescue. That way you won't get run over on your way off the field." She explained.

"Anything else?" Jak asked.

"Over and out." Rayne added through the static.

The racer sped up a little bit. This part of the pit was unusually quiet. According to the boards, there were only five cars left. When he finally came upon another vehicle, the racer shot his first missile.

"Got him!" Daxter exclaimed. The ottsel was so excited that he had forgotten to be afraid.

"Dax. Sit." Jak commanded. Orange Lightning sunk back into his seat.

"I just want you to be safe." The racer added.

_I appreciate the sentiment, big guy, but the race was getting interestin'. I never expected this to be over so quickly._ The ottsel was feeling a bit… idle. But that was about to change.

Someone was shooting behind them. Jak looked over his shoulder just long enough to watch Ashelin and Shiv destroy each other.

"Jak." The comm channel bustled open again.

"I saw." Was his only response.

"Stop talking about me as if I'm not here!" Ashelin piped up.

"It's up to you now, Jak. Gun that mystery driver down and we can go home." Spoke their leader.

"Right." Said Jak.

"Ten Four." Rayne ended the conversation. It was better to keep comm traffic brief in case other teams were listening. Rayne was even thinking of assigning code names to everyone. At least no one could say their team wasn't organized…

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

"Well, Dax. It looks like there's just one car standing between us and victory. Looks like we didn't need that extra body armor after all." Jak smiled down at his best friend.

"Who else is left?" The ottsel asked.

"Just that black car. You know—the last-minute entry." Jak was talking, but his mind was on the track, searching for the other vehicle.

Some distance away, the dark knight was singing aloud. "_Oh vhere, oh vhere has my leetle dog gone?_"

Daxter's eyes widened. "I don't have a good feelin' about this."

"_Oh vhere, oh vhere can he be?_"

"Why not?" Jak almost had to shout over the rumble of the engine.

"I dunno. Everything about this event has been a little strange, hasn't it?" Dax cuddled up with Jak's thigh while the racer reflected on their current situation.

_I wonder if he knows something that I don't. I'll have to ask him later—maybe he overheard something at that party and his imagination just ran with it._ The racer thought. _Where is that guy, anyway?_

"_Vith his ears cut short and his tail cut long…_" The dark knight took one last drag on his cigarette before flicking it out of the window.

_OH._ Jak's jaw nearly dropped when he realized that the black car had been running still just 10 yards ahead. _Wait a minute. Is he… SMOKING?_

"_Oh vhere—oh vhere can he be?_" The man finished his song.

"Vhat is ze matter, Jak?" The dark knight's vehicle slowly inched its way to Jak's side. "You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

_Razor._ Jak finally understood. In under a second, the green-blonde had begun shooting, but the black car was too close to his side to hit. Razor took advantage of their joint predicament by dropping a few mines and then speeding away.

BOOM. One of the mines _did_ explode, but not directly beneath them. "DAMN IT!" Jak hollered. _I wanna KILL that guy._ Razor was getting ahead.

As Jak followed in hot pursuit, it became abundantly clear that Razor's car was built for speed, as well. Minimal body plating, dark eco practically pouring out of the engine… If Jak didn't hate him so much, he would have admired the man's taste in machinery.

In what was quickly developing into a game of cat and mouse, Jak was only glad to be the cat. Razor had already dodged one missile, but the green-blonde had nailed him with more than a few normal rounds. In turn, Razor dropped mines as soon as he picked them up, and made several failed attempts to lure Jak into the traps that were simply part of the field.

The hero lost sight of his prey around a large boulder beside a rather inconspicuous cave entrance. _There's no way to tell where he went…_ The racer thought about what to do next. _Ah… Oh well, fuck it. If he didn't go in the cave, he'll have to come in after me at some point and I'll ambush him. I am NOT gonna just drive past it and get blown to bits when he pulls the trigger._

Jak drove in shooting, and didn't stop for over 15 seconds. When he didn't hear any return fire, the racer grew weary. _We could be sitting ducks in here._ Jak drove a little deeper into the earthen tunnel, turned off his lights, and shut down the engine.

"Do ya mind tellin' me what in the precursors' names ya think you're doin'?" Yelled Daxter.

"Sshh…" Jak hushed his friend. "Look, this engine doesn't even take long to start up cold, right?"

"Right…" The ottsel responded. He didn't know where Jak was going with this.

"Well, it's warm right now. We've been running it at top speeds for about 15 minutes straight, so if we need to go anywhere, I'll get us out of here. In the mean time, we're below tolerance for heat-seeking missiles, and we have the chance to ambush Razor." Jak calmly explained.

"Who's Razor? You mean last-minute contestant guy?" Dax was confused. He didn't like being left out of the loop.

Jak sighed. "You know, that guy who threatened you at the bar? The one with the knife…"

"HIM? But I just saw him at that party. He was wearing a bath robe or somethin'! Are you sure?" Orange Lightning didn't even realize their opponent was a racer.

"Yeah, he has that funny accent…" Jak muttered nonchalantly.

"Oh." Was all Daxter could come up with for a response. He got the feeling that his friend didn't really want to talk and simply closed his eyes for a short rest.

His friend, however, was a little worse for wear. _Dax would NEVER lie to me. But if that's the case…_ Jak was powerless against the onslaught of rabid emotion. He couldn't help but replay Razor's words in his head over and over again.

'_Have you ever stopped to consider zat maybe young Daxter could fall for a man, like yourself?'_

He could practically smell the smoke from Razor's cigarette. _What exactly was he trying to SAY? I mean, it sounds like he thinks I've "fallen for a man," which, in a sense, is true—but I haven't told ANYONE. What gives? And if that's not it, is he trying to say that Daxter is interested in ME personally? …Eh. Wishful thinking, at best. I know that jerk must've done something to Dax. Maybe he bought him a few drinks at that bar. The little guy says all sorts of crazy things when he's drunk…_

The ottsel in question had begun to grow a bit restless, and it wouldn't take long before all of the tossing and turning started to have an effect on Jak's peace of mind—let alone his groin. He was about to nudge Daxter to get him to stop when they heard something.

"He just started his car!" Daxter exclaimed.

"Dax, do you remember how far this cave goes?" The racer asked his friend.

"From one end of the track to another, and there are side entrances along the way." The ottsel responded.

"That's about half a mile…" Jak figured in his head. "Alright. We're goin' in!"

Just as he had planned, the engine was up and running in seconds. Jak pushed his vehicle to the limit. Daxter had slipped out of his seatbelt, but he held fast to Jak's tunic. The racer always had a protective hand ready to swing down and catch him if they were to encounter any kind of turbulence along the way.

"LOOK! There he is!" Dax had stood up in his spot to watch through the window.

"Well, what are ya waitin' for? SHOOT HIS CAR, JAK!" The ottsel's voice was quite audible when the little guy wanted to be heard.

"No." Was the racer's response.

"Whaddaya _mean_, NO?" Dax howled.

"He's trying to see if we're chicken." Said Jak. "We're going to call his bluff."

Meanwhile, Razor had found the situation all too amusing. "_Jak be nimble, Jak be quick._" He spoke to himself in a sing-song voice as he shot his first missile.

"_Jak jump over the candlestick._" Luckily, Jak noticed the blinding force of metal and light headed toward him and swerved out of the way. One of the cave's surveillance cameras wasn't so lucky. _So that's how they follow all the action_. The racer thought to himself as he turned away from the wreckage and faced the road in front of him once again.

"_Jak jumped high, Jak jumped low._" Razor shot his other missile, and—as expected, Jak dodged it once again.

As the two cars closed in on one another, neither was going to back down. Jak was determined to win. As crazy as Razor obviously was, he had to value his own life! Jak thought so, anyway, so he pressed onward. "This is it, Dax." Sweat trickled down his forehead as the racer stared ahead.

Just as they each approached the point of no return, Razor did something no one could have expected. "_Jak jumped over…_"

He boosted. "…_and burned his toe._"

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

"NO!" Rayne gasped. Keira stood horrorstruck as tears streamed down her face. They watched the huge eco explosion on TV.

"Daxxie…" Tess whispered under her breath. She grabbed the first aid kit she always used on the boys and ran to join the emergency field medics.

Jak felt as though he were swimming through the air above his body. Some people came and pulled him out of the car. He heard someone say, "You're going to be alright," and he believed him, but something else was on his mind at the moment.

"_Dax…_ Where's Daxter?" The racer sat-up where they had laid him down. He was practically unscathed, save for the emotional trauma of having been separated from the most important person in his world.

He heard some voices. "Sshh, shh, we don't want the cameras or microphones to pick this up."

"C'mon you guys, OUT! Nothin' ta see here, alright, buddy? Jak's fine, and I'm a professional. Go help those guys over there." It was Tess, and she was pointing to Razor's car… or at least, what was left of it.

"Tess?" Jak shouted. Never in his entire life had he been so happy to hear that woman's voice.

"Jak… Look." Her voice cracked a little. Jak walked over to where she was sitting and all but fainted at the sight that lay before his eyes.

"…_Daxter?_ B-but… HOW?" The hero dropped to his knees and gathered his _human_ best friend into a snug embrace. Tess returned with a blanket.

"Here." She said. Together, they wrapped their beloved redhead in a gray camping blanket. He was naked, after all.

"Is he hurt?" Jak asked. He felt like a new parent or something.

"He's unconscious… Look, Jak. Don't worry about racing for a while. Get him to somewhere safe. Don't go back to your hotel." She seemed even more worried than he was.

"Don't go back to the hotel? Why not? All of our stuff is there." Jak pointed out.

"We'll get everything for you. Don't worry about a thing. Here are the keys to the Naughty Ottsel and my rental car. Take that to the transport and go back to Haven. You'll be able to hide there." She used a second blanket to conceal Daxter's hair. "You mustn't let _anyone_ see him like this, okay? Friends, of course, are okay, but be careful."

"Thanks, Tess." Said the hero as she gave him a quick hug.

"It's going to be much harder to protect him like this, Jak… Do you need a weapon?" Even as she spoke, she searched her bag for a small pistol.

"No, Tess—really. We're fine… Is this what you came in?" Jak nudged his head in the direction of the little go-kart she had arrived in.

"Yeah. Let's get back to the garage and get you out of here before the press swarm in." When she finally DID find her gun, she took out two cameras in the immediate vicinity.

"Your morph gun is in my car. I finished installing those new mods you brought over."

"Mm." Jak responded. He heard her words, but barely grasped the meaning. Right then, the only thing that meant anything to him was the naked man in his lap.

_Dax… What happened to you?_ He noticed the feel of his friend's breath against his neck and smiled.

_This IS what you've always wanted, ya know._ Tess was driving, but she kept stealing nervous glances at her old friend and courtier.

_Please be okay. Please be okay! I'm sorry we weren't on the best of terms when this happened, Daxxie. Please be okay…_ The blonde bartender was much more worried than she let on.

By the time they made it back to the garage, Tess had to rescue Rayne from the reporters. Keira was just glad to see Jak alive. Even she didn't know the full extent of what had happened. When Jak walked by with a large bundle in his arms, Keira gave him a questioning look. His response was just to lean right next to her ear and say, "Tell Tess I said she can fill the team in later. We're going back to Haven."

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

Jak didn't waste any time getting Dax to Tess's car. He propped Daxter in the passenger's seat and drove directly to the transport coordinates. It wasn't docked at the time, but that was to be expected. It would come back as soon as it had finished ferrying someone else.

The hero didn't have time to buy Daxter some clothes, so he took a quick peek in Tess's trunk while he dug out his morph gun. Luckily, she hadn't retrieved _all_ of her bags, and Jak was able to locate at least an oversized t-shirt and some socks. He had rearranged Tess's belongings so that her basic necessities and unmentionables were in one bag, and his morph gun and her pajamas were in another.

The racer hoped that no one had followed them there. He also wondered if Razor had survived the crash, and if so, whether or not he had seen Daxter's transformation. _Tess is right… No one really knows about Dax's history. …I hope this works out for the better._ Jak decided not to worry. At that point, the only thing left to do was wait.

They were on a transport within the hour. It was a good thing that Jak looked the way he did, or someone might have asked questions as to what he was holding. For once, the racer was glad for his vicious reputation.

It wasn't until they were in the air that Jak finally took some time to relax. He leaned back against the metal wall. Without even realizing it, the green-blonde had begun stroking the redhead's right arm. After a while, Jak moved to the floor and laid his friend out on the bench he had been sitting on.

"Alright, Dax." Jak said to no one in particular. "Time to get dressed."

Jak unzipped the backpack he had borrowed from Tess. One by one, pieces of clothing had resurfaced. A large, gray shirt… Socks… A small pair of women's boxers… The racer looked at his friend. _He IS small… These should fit._ He blushed at the thought of seeing Dax naked again.

The crash site was different. Daxter had just transformed… The only thing on Jak's mind was his best friend's livelihood, not his state of undress. Here, alone in the transport's passenger compartment, the nakedness was a little harder to ignore.

The racer couldn't help but gulp at the prospect. _Come on, Jak… You can DO this._ He told himself. No part of Jak's life could have prepared him for what he was about to do. Slowly, with shaking hands, he unfolded the blanket that hid his best friend. What he saw nearly took the wind out of him.

Jak did something that, in other circumstances, may have seemed rude. He stared. From the beautiful and soft, dark, red hair to the innocent expression he wore on his face. Daxter looked… Exactly as he had remembered him, but older.

"So thin…" Jak whispered. He ran his hands down Daxter's sides. The racer stopped at his best friend's hips and blushed. _Wow… _His eyes widened. _Right. Got to get him dressed. CLOTHES!_

The green-blonde scrambled to find those boxers. They were different from his own. Shorter, but probably long enough, and they were made of something akin to flannel. Calmly, he shifted Daxter's feet to accommodate the process, and he guided Tess's shorts across lean legs. The tranquil look on the redhead's face had an all-too sobering effect. Quickly, the racer unhooked his fingers from beneath the elastic, and looked away from his now boxer-clad best friend.

He felt his face grow hot. _I guess he's going to be happy about that pubic hair, after all._ Jak giggled a bit. In a few days, Dax would be up and about, and this will be nothing but a distant memory. The racer made quick work of the socks and shirt, replaced the blankets and waited.

Before long, the transport had landed. _Finally, a familiar place._ Jak thought to himself. He slung the backpack over his shoulder, collected Daxter into his arms, and made his way to the Naughty Ottsel. He was hoping to find one of Tess's zoomers outside, although the protection it could offer to Dax or himself was questionable at best. Orange Lightning usually manned the guns, so he hoped they would be okay without their normal attack capabilities.

By the time they arrived at the bar, Jak thought his arms were going to fall off. He didn't find the zoomer. _She must have locked it up._ The racer thought. Jak almost doubled back to Tess's workshop when he noticed Keira's car parked down the street. _Perfect._

Once again, he propped Daxter into the passenger's seat and started heading where he had wanted to go all along. The racer was trying so hard to do everything right, to keep Daxter out of harm's way. He even obeyed traffic laws, for once. They arrived just over a minute later, but Jak parked around the corner and waited until no one was around before making his move.

The hero was looking forward to seeing an old friend. If anyone could help Daxter, it was this guy.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**AN:** O.o Another update, so soon? I KNOW, it's weird, right? T_T Don't get too used to it, okay? *laughs evilly*

**Outtakes:**

Jak's _other_ thoughts about Razor:  
_Well, he IS a chain smoker, that's for sure. I bet he even SHOWERS with a cigarette in his mouth!_

-/-

**Razor:** B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O—  
**Dax:** Is that supposed to be _threatening?  
_**Razor:** _B-I-N-G-O_, and Bingo vas his name-o!

-/-

_Well, he IS a chain smoker, that's for sure. I bet he even SLEEPS with a cigarette in his mouth!_

-/-

Jak walks into the garage, carrying Daxter in his arms  
**Keira:** Jak, I'm so glad you're okay! *sideways glance* What's that?  
**Jak:** Oh, ah... This old thing? It's what's left of my car. Yeah… Couldn't bring myself to leave it out there.  
**Keira:** O.o  
**Jak:** Yeah, and, uh, something came up. I'm just gonna take this back to Haven City, and um… Look at it.

_-/_-

_Well, he IS a chain smoker, that's for sure. I bet he even goes down on other guys with a cigarette in his mouth!_


	6. Waking Up

**AN:** I wonder if I'll be introducing strange words more often or something. Anyway, in this chapter, the word "Mustelid" comes up. Mustelids, or Mustelidae, are the family of animals to which both otters and weasels belong, so I figured that would describe ottsels just as well.

**Disclaimer: **Jak and Daxter are the property of Naughty Dog, Inc.

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As soon as no one was around, Jak locked Keira's car and carried the unconscious redhead bridal style to where they were going. It was an old power station that no one else knew about, where Vin had quietly resurrected himself as a cybergenetic being. Jak hoped he would be able to help. The jittery scientist was an expert on both eco and neurology, so this dilemma seemed like it would fall right up his alley.

Without a free hand to speak of, Jak knocked at the entrance with the tip of his boot before letting himself in. "Oi, Vin? _Vi-in_—ya there?" The green-blonde shouted fondly.

"W-who is it? L-listen, I... I don't want any t-trouble." The holographic projection of Vin's old face looked frantically about the room before spotting his intruders. "J-Jak!"

"Hi, Vin. I told you we'd come back for a visit." Jak reminded him. "And hey… How come you're still so edgy, hmm? I doubt you can still get _germs_." The hero smirked.

"I'm not immortal, Jak. Just because I've become impervious to organic t-toxins doesn't mean a few well-aimed gunshots or s-snipped wires couldn't deactivate my p-power generator and flush my active m-memory!" Shouted the scientist.

"Relax, Vin. It's just us. I have something show to you, but it has to stay between us, and—oh, by the way, does anyone else know about this place?" The racer questioned.

"N-not that I know of. I occasionally monitor palace communications to make sure no one comes down here. I keep the p-power station in perfect order so that no one ever needs to stop by for maintenance." Vin explained.

"Anyway, what do you need? I doubt you really came down here just to visit me. What's that in your arms?" The scientist scanned the bundle. "Or should I say… _who?_"

"You remember Daxter, right Vin?" Jak asked. _I hadn't thought about how to explain this just yet… This is going to be interesting._

"The Mustelid?" Asked Vin.

"Um… _Yeah_. He was an ottsel, if that's what you mean." The hero had forgotten how much of an intellectual their friend really was.

Vin gasped. "_Was_ an ottsel? He didn't have an unfortunate run-in with a m-metal head did he?" The scientist wasn't making the connection.

"An unfortunate run-in with explosive dark eco is more like it." Jak lowered the blanket surrounding Daxter's hair and tilted him toward Vin's facial projection. "He's transformed back into a human."

"_Back_ into a human? " The scientist wasn't taking the news lightly. "You s-say he made contact with dark eco?"

"Yeah… You know the racing tournament in Kras City?" The racer asked.

"Yes. Violent program, that is. I stick to the Home Shopping Network." Vin said.

"Well, we were racing in it when we collided head-on with another vehicle at top speed. There was a huge explosion, and when they pulled him out of the car, he looked like this." Jak nodded in Daxter's direction. "By the way, do you have some place where I can put him down? My arms feel like they're about to give."

"Oh, yes—of course! Over there on that biobed. Would you like me to scan him and make sure everything is okay?"

"Uh—_sure_… it's not going to hurt, is it?" Jak questioned.

"Not a bit. You know, this is the bed that _I_ laid on when I copied my brain and transferred it to this power matrix. If you want, you know, just to be sure—I can check for damage and attempt to revive him."

"Alright." Jak shrugged. "As long as it's safe."

"Of course, I wouldn't suggest it if it wasn't—I mean, really, the only person at risk here would be ME, but he'd have to die while I was still exploring his consciousness. We're the only ones who know about this place, however, so there's no real hazard in the end. Believe me! I wouldn't offer if there were."

Vin received a nod of approval.

"Alright, then. Here goes!" The image of the scientist's face was replaced with a message that simply read 'standby.' The hero kneeled over the table on which his friend was lying and placed an ear against the redhead's chest.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

"Hnn…" Dax moaned into his pillow. A sudden lack of warmth had brought him into consciousness. Looking around, Daxter noticed that he was human again. _Ah, so I must be dreamin' after all… _

Of course, something as trivial as reality couldn't keep the former ottsel from exploring his environment. Dax rubbed his tired eyes and looked around the room. Once he had resolved himself to living out his dream as if it were his life, the redhead quickly solved the mystery of the morning goose bumps.

"_Ja-aak_!" The redhead whined. "Quit hoggin' all the covers!"

In an unusual show of strength, Daxter grabbed the middle of their blanket and hauled it forward—the not-altogether unpleasant side effect of which was the sleepy Jak who came along for the ride. The hero didn't seem to mind the new arrangement, however, and he quickly resituated himself so that he lay flush against the redhead's backside, cradling his beloved in a warm embrace.

Dax reveled in the contact, and couldn't help but shiver as his lifelong friend and protector ravished his neck with a trail of sleepy kisses. The racer seemed uncharacteristically bold this morning. Daxter couldn't help but remind himself that as far as he could remember, they had only just shared their first kiss. Still, that didn't change the fact that Dream Jak couldn't keep his hands to himself. Jak ran his free hand up and down the side of Daxter's torso, occasionally venturing beyond the redhead's hip and dipping in to stroke his thigh before retreating back to safer territory.

"Oh _gods_, Jak…" Dax groaned. _I wonder why he's so comfortable with this all of a sudden… I'd like to talk ta him about it, but damn it if this doesn't feel too freakin' amazing ta interrupt._

The feel of Jak's mouth on his rather sensitive earlobe forced Daxter's attention back on the situation at hand. When the hero's fingertips ventured a little bit further into unfamiliar places, the former ottsel realized just how much of an effect this was having on him. Dream Jak must have noticed it, too, because the petting and stroking became much more concentrated in that one, particularly _sensitive_ area.

"Nnnh." Dax sighed. _Is he doin' this because I'm dreamin' about what I really want him ta do? It almost feels like I have some sense of control fer a change…_ Dream Jak only gave the redhead a second to wonder, because the moment his hand made contact with the bulge in Daxter's pants, the younger boy's eyes shot open in awe.

"Jak! _Nngh_, more… _Please!_" Dax writhed against him, unabashedly pleading for more of that exquisite touch.

_I do__n't care if he IS just panderin' ta my fantasies. I would LIVE in my dreams if they all turned out like this one._ Dax wriggled his bottom against Jak's groin as the racer's barrage of increasingly harder strokes left his arousal pinned against his own belly. His cotton sleep pants suddenly felt extremely restrictive.

Dax marveled at the feel of Dream Jak's manhood as he brushed against it for the first time. He didn't know which he liked better—the way it twitched, or the heady moans that escaped the racer's throat each time he wriggled against it. It startled the redhead when Jak shyly began to grind against him, but the slow, seductive pace coupled with the demure expression that the hero wore on his face only served to turn the former ottsel on in ways he had never thought possible.

_When did I become such a pervert?_ Dax smiled to himself. He knew Jak was a virgin, but he never imagined how the quiet hero would respond to his first rounds of intimate sexual contact. He could only hope that he might actually be the one to deliver that unique pleasure, even though he considered it unlikely at best.

Neither of the two wore boxers, although they each sported matching pajama pants that the redhead had never seen before. Nevertheless, the material was so thin and soft that Dax understood the lack of underwear. It came as a pleasant surprise when Jak's palm slid up beyond the head of his erection and onto his belly, and timid fingers slid beneath the fabric to meet the heated flesh they had been teasing all along.

Daxter was unprepared for the waves of sensation that washed over him. His heart raced with anticipation as he waited for Jak to make his next move. The racer's hand was shaking as he held it as lightly as possible against Daxter's arousal.

"Dax?" The racer whispered into his ear. The redhead attempted to respond, but his mouth was too dry to form any words. Daxter took a moment to control his breathing before forcing a cough to clear his throat, which ended up causing his groin to twitch involuntarily, leaving his heart rate back where it started.

Jak seemed to understand, though, as he continued asking his question. "Do you want me to…? I mean, _erm_… Is it okay if I…?"

Daxter barely noticed the blush that had crept across the hero's face and neck before Jak decided it was easier to demonstrate than to explain, and his hand ghosted past the greater part of his friend's shaft to deliver a few feather-light touches to the redhead's swollen testicles.

"Y-yes…" Dax quivered. Jak eased backward a bit in an attempt to remain calm and avoid harming his friend by being too rough. Daxter mourned the loss of contact as he felt his bottom ease away from Jak's groin, and it wasn't until that point that he noticed the way Jak's erection had been making him tingle in places he'd never really paid any attention to.

Needless to say, Jak wasn't the only one that regretted the absence of that sweet friction.

The racer's hand reached down to fully cup the redhead's scrotum, and the encouraging noises that flowed from Daxter's mouth caused his control to waver. Jak shifted his hips forward once more and began teasing the tip of his erection against the small of Daxter's back.

This did not go unnoticed.

"Mnnh… Yer makin' me so hard, Jak." Dax practically purred. "Here, hold on—lemme move a little." He added as his own hand crept into his pants and settled on top of Jak's—mainly to keep it in place, although it did feel nice. What he did next sent the hero's eyes rolling into the back of his head; Daxter shifted his hips and eased his bottom so that the tip of Jak's erection lined up with his entrance, and pushed back ever so lightly.

"_Fuck_…" The racer groaned against the redhead's neck. Jak started up a rhythm—leaning back so slightly that it was barely noticeable and then gently prodding the warm crevice. Daxter loved how that part of Jak's body could be so soft and yet so solid all at the same time. He hoped they could try this again, only without the pants so laden with sweat that it felt about ten degrees hotter than it really was.

The racer switched gears and began stroking his friend's now-aching arousal with a much more confident set of fingers. When he closed his palm over the head, Jak noticed a bead of liquid resting on the tip, and traced it back down along his friend's shaft.

"I wonder what you taste like…" Jak whispered seductively into Daxter's right ear.

The redhead was in the process of guiding himself in and out of Jak's grasp and enjoying the added pressure he felt from behind when he spoke without a thought. "I've been dyin' ta taste _you_. Can't wait to feel ya come down my throat."

In that instant, Jak's firm strokes turned to wild jerks and he pulled himself back into his previous position.

"Eeep!" Daxter's body convulsed in a way that caused his hips to slam backward against his friend's groin. Jak seemed to have lost some of his self-control at that, because he sat up, nudged Daxter onto his back, and settled himself between the redhead's legs—all while continuing to pump the insistent erection that remained in his hand.

Dax was all but purring when Jak stopped for a moment without so much as a "wait." The redhead never got the chance to pout, however, because it quickly became clear that the racer's intent was only to deepen their new and exciting sexual adventure.

"Are you LISTENING to me? I said WAIT! Before you do anything you'll regret!"

_Eh?_ Dax thought. _That sounds like…_

"Vin?" The light elastic on the redhead's waistband met his skin with a snap as the arm that supported it disappeared into thin air. _So it really was a dream._ Dax told himself as he sat up to face the intruder.

The scientist remained silent.

The redhead found himself barely able to face the man until he thought, _Wait a sec… If this is a dream, it's probably just a really messed up one. 'Sides, isn't Vin DEAD? This can't be real._

"Oh, don't kid yourself. You _were_ having a dream, and I _did_ interrupt it." Vin spoke.

_Ah… This is embarrassing. _Daxter looked up to face the scientist, but their eyes met and both of them found it impossible to face the other. Blushing furiously, Dax squeaked "S-so—ah, did ya see anything?"

Vin wore his shock well. With a twitch of an eye, the scientist choked, "_WHAT_ in Mar's name were you DOING?"

Still nervous, Daxter found himself unable to speak. He offered a sheepish grin, which quickly fell to a worried frown.

The scientist's eyes widened at the realization. "Jak didn't say anything about… So you two aren't… Actually _involved_?"

_How could we be? He's unaware of my feelings and I'm still an ottsel… _Dax was about to shake his head in affirmation when he suddenly had to ask, "Wait, you saw Jak? An' why do you look like you again? Last time I saw ya, you were a 3D model of a disembodied head in some power station in Haven."

"How observant of you. I wish you would have contributed the same level attention to your surroundings while you MADE OUT with Jak right in FRONT of me!" The scientist knew more than he let on, but this was Vin's way of allowing the former ottsel some privacy.

_Ah, so he thinks we only made out._ The redhead sighed with relief.

"No, I DON'T think you only made out, because I can hear everything you THINK, Daxter! If I were still alive, I woulda had a heart attack by now. Jeez Louise."

Dax waited in silence for his friend to continue.

"Okay, look. It's not _that bad_, kid. There are worse things you could dream about, _believe me_… And in answer to one of your earlier questions: Yes, I did see Jak."

The redhead sent him a questioning look.

"He delivered you to me in the hopes that you might be revived. You were suffering from a severe concussion that you received after you and Jak had gotten into a car accident."

"Ah, the race! Does that mean we lost? Is Jak hurt? _Precursors_… This dream's goin' from bad ta worse." Daxter's ears drooped.

"I don't know if you won, but Jak was the one worried about YOU, my friend. As a matter of fact, he's guarding your body in my lab at this very moment."

Dax suddenly felt very cold, and his eyes widened with fear. "You're not gonna tell him… about my _dream_, are ya?"

Vin looked at him like he was a crazy person. "TELL him? _Precursors_, NO! I want to forget this ever HAPPENED! I mean, UGH—I've never seen anything LIKE that before! I wouldn't even talk about it if someone ASKED, yeesh! I mean… He was… And YOU were! …MOMMY!"

"Hah." Dax laughed to himself. His secret was safe for now.

_Oh, boy. I hope this guy isn't too shocked when he sees his body. He thinks he's still an ottsel. I wonder why he didn't think it was weird that I recognized him in his human form. Whatever… It's probably better if Jak explains after he comes to._

"So." Daxter pulled the man out of his thoughts. "How come I can't tell what _you're _thinkin'?" The redhead smiled coyly.

"Well, our minds are linked, but I haven't donated _all_ of my mental resources to this excursion. Also, while I know my way around the minds of men, my current brain is meant to interface with computers, so it's unlikely that you could understand anything I don't go out of my way to communicate to you. And as for why I look like this… Well, I could have chosen whatever form I liked, and I tend to get nostalgic from time to time." After all that, Vin seemed pretty calm.

"I gotchya." Dax smiled.

"So, Mister _I'm-In-Love-With-My-Best-Friend_, are you ready to rejoin the waking world?" The scientist laughed, and before Dax could issue a pleading retort, his dream had ended and his view had been replaced with the semi-darkness that occurs when faced with the inside of one's eyelids.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

"All done, Jak." The image of Vin's head had returned to the large viewscreen.

"Is he awake? Can I talk to him?" The scientist nodded his approval.

At first, the voices sounded a little bit distant, but Daxter became fully aware of his surroundings upon feeling his friend's grip on his right arm, which quickly became a cold hand against his warm forehead. Dax opened his eyes.

"_Jak_." He whispered. He was surprised by the meekness of his voice, given how much talking he had successfully done just moments ago in his dream. His throat felt as dry as the Wastelands.

"Dax! It's okay, you're alright." With one swift move, the racer anchored his hands beneath the redhead's shoulders and scooped him into a big hug.

_Wah… It feels so nice to be smushed against Jak's chest. Wait a minute… This doesn't feel like it usually does. My—_Daxter's pupils dilated to the size of saucers.

"Vin?" He spoke over his friend's shoulder.

"What can I do for you?" The scientist spoke. He looked busy, but he was definitely in a good mood.

"Are you sure I'm not… still dreaming?" The hopeful redhead nearly died and went to heaven upon receiving the cheerful nod that served as a confirmation that for once, his life was most definitely going in the right direction. The redhead practically breathed contentment as he nuzzled Jak's neck.

"Haha, Dax…" Jak ran a hand slowly along his friend's back, to comfort them both. Then, he pulled back just enough to press his forehead to Daxter's.

"I'm me again." He practically whispered.

"Dax…" The green-blonde stroked his friend's cheek before leaning forward to speak directly into the former ottsel's ear. "I'm glad."

The redhead blushed.

"S-s-so, uh—how do I look?" He had the general idea, but he still wanted to see for himself—and to hear it from his best friend.

The hero blinked. _Cute. Handsome… _

He was about to become lost in memories of dressing the smaller man when Daxter's semi-apprehensive gaze pulled him back to reality. "Oh, ah… Well. You look like… Like _you_. But older! Your teeth don't stick out as much."

Vin had been keeping an eye on the two while he worked on something else, and as he watched them interact, he realized that their relationship was even more complicated than he had anticipated coming out of Daxter's mind. _So hero-boy is in pretty much the same boat. Heh._

In attempt to dig Jak out of the hole he had dug himself into ("Whaddaya MEAN as MUCH?"), the scientist gestured toward a mirror that had risen from a hatch on the ground. "I usually use those for experimenting with light and in designing better surveillance equipment. Daxter, have a look for yourself."

Without even thinking, Jak extended an arm around the redhead's side, and Dax wrapped his arms around the hero's neck for support. It wasn't until the former ottsel was standing on his own two legs that they each realized how easily they had fallen into close proximity.

Their minds echoed similar concerns:

_I really gotta watch myself. I don't wanna freak him out all of a sudden._

_I can NOT let that happen again. Dax WILL notice, and I don't want to scare him away._

In the end, they each relaxed, because they hadn't done anything wrong. After years of Jak/ottsel-Dax interaction, that amount of contact felt pretty natural, if not lacking in some way or another.

Turning his attention to the mirror, the redhead gasped. "I look just like I did in my dream!"

Vin stopped working altogether, and Daxter mentally cursed himself for mentioning something he didn't want to talk about.

"You mean like that nightmare you had?" Jak placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Y-yeah. Man, that one _was_ pretty bad, wasn't it?" Dax sighed to himself. The scientist resumed operations.

"Still, I wonder how I got it so right in my mind… The way I look, I mean. And this happening so soon after, too… Wait a minute. How _did_ this happen?" The redhead wondered.

"What do you mean? We got into a—" Jak started to explain, but was cut-off mid-sentence.

"Oh, come off it, Jak. That wasn't the first time you totaled a car. You've crashed a ZOOMER, fer cryin' out loud!" Dax was a little frustrated.

"Alright, well… I guess you don't remember." The green-blonde ran an idle hand through his hair as he tried to decide where to begin.

"Basically, we were in a battle royale."

Dax interjected. "Right, I remember."

"Well, at the end, it was just us and one other guy. The last-minute entry for Mizo's team, remember?" Dax simply nodded in response.

"It turned out that that guy was actually just Razor. He was sort of taunting us, so I was pretty angry—and when he pretty much challenged me to a game of chicken, I took the bait."

The redhead slapped a hand to his face and shook his head in disbelief. "Ja—aak… Come on, buddy." He turned to face the racer, and was swept by an overwhelming urge to embrace the man. Dax brought his arms around the hero's back and buried his face in the larger man's chest.

Jak was a little bit taken aback by the sudden contact, but he quickly relaxed and returned the embrace. He closed his eyes and allowed his chin to rest on the top of Daxter's head as he ran his hands through the red silk that made up his friend's new mop of hair.

The redhead's next words were a bit muffled, but audible all the same. "If ya keep actin' like that, yer gonna get yourself killed." His voice sounded a little choked.

"Hey, shh, it's okay, Dax… It's okay." For once, the hero couldn't care less about privacy.

"Do you want to hear the rest?" Jak spoke softly into the smaller man's ear.

"Nn, I don't need to. Ya sped head-first into his car and there was an explosion. Am I right?" The redhead leaned back against his friend's arms and smiled brightly.

Overwhelmed by the cuteness of the image before him (_How can he be so flexible? The slope of his back is almost like a girl's…_), Jak dove forward and nuzzled into the side of Daxter's neck—wanting to kiss, but settling for the chance to simply _be_ there.

The redhead was certainly enjoying the touch, but it didn't come without some level of embarrassment. He was worried that he would take it for something so much more than it was, and in an attempt to save both their feelings, he clamped a hand directly on top of Jak's face and pushed back with a giggle.

"J-Jak! Come on, that _tickles_, damn it! Hehehehe. Man, if all those ex-KGs saw you acting like a big puppy, no one would be afraid anymore." His face was red, but he was smiling.

"By the way," Dax started.

"Hmm?" The racer wondered what he was going to say. The redhead's fingers were twirling around his goatee, so he could only half-pay attention.

"You were right about my teeth." The former ottsel gave a gentle tug and relented.

"If you two lovebirds are all finished, there's something I'd like to point out." They each blushed in turn as Vin reminded them of where they were. They would have been mortified, but a small clatter back by the biobed diverted their attention.

"What's that?" Dax wondered aloud. He walked over to the dispenser and noticed two full syringes. He looked back at the digital scientist and waited for an answer.

"_That_, my friends, is the antivenin for the poison you seem to have ingested in mass amounts. Honestly, did you each get bitten by a hundred snakes or did you voluntarily suck on their fangs for several hours straight?"

They looked at each other with confusion until the realization dawned on them. "Krew's poison!" They each proclaimed in unison.

Jak was already preparing to administer the shot when Vin piped up again. "No, do it in the crook of his arm. Squeeze his wrist so you get some pressure going. Seriously Daxter, as an ottsel, it's a wonder you didn't die."

"Hey, Vin?" Jak asked as he finished Daxter's shot. The redhead had been facing the opposite direction and was cringing as if this were the scariest thing he'd ever had to endure.

"How much of this stuff can you make?"

"How much do you need?" The scientist was curious.

"Wait, lemme think… Torn, Ashelin, Rayne… Did Tess have any? What about Keira and Samos? I don't know. To be on the safe side, let's say six." The green-blonde hero turned his attention away from the giant display and back to his squirming best friend.

_Silly,_ _it's over_. He thought, but instead of letting Daxter know, he pulled the redhead's arm up toward his mouth, earned a wild stare from the owner of said arm, and then planted a playful kiss right where he had stuck him with the needle. A much longer series of clatters tore the boys' attentions from one another, and Jak gathered the new syringes (all but his own) into the backpack that he'd been lugging around.

"Thanks, Vin. You're a real life-saver." Jak said as he made quick work of his own shot. Dax returned his gaze to the mirror, as needles gave him the creeps regardless of whose skin they were sticking.

"Don't I know it. You done there? Alright, good. Just toss those into that trash compactor. I'll take care of the rest." All in all, Vin was happy that he could still serve his friends in some capacity.

"So, Dax. Ready to go?" The hero glanced over his shoulder. The redhead seemed to be thinking about something.

"Ja—ak." The former ottsel bore a sly grin.

Jak was weary of his motives. _He could be planning to launch a tickle attack_. He decided it was easier to wait and see for himself.

"I wonder how much has changed _down there_." Dax gestured toward his crotch. Jak looked onward in horror as the redhead thumbed the edge of his waistband and added, "I wonder if I finally _did_ grow some pu—"

"Dax!" Jak seized his friend's arms from behind and said, "Look, you… Erm… How should I say this? Everything's normal… down there. You don't need to look—you can confirm it when we get home." The hero was blushing furiously.

_Ah, I knew I didn't recognize these clothes. I must have transformed naked… My PANTS! Nooooo! …oh well. I guess I don't need them anymore, anyhow. I guess that means that Jak… dressed me? Hehehehe…_ Suffice it to say, Dax was pleased with himself.

"A'right, fine. Can we go or what? As much as I'd love ta go out an' party… I'm beat. I wanna take a nap."

It felt like forever since the last time the racer had exhaled. Jak was glad. He wanted to avoid talking about the fact that he handled his friend's naked body at all if possible, but he especially didn't want to discuss it in front of Vin.

"Mmn." Jak nodded. "Vin, we'll talk to you later. Here's my number, by the way. You can reach me on my comm if you ever need anything. Sound good?"

"Farewell, boys. I'll drop a line if I need anything." With that, Vin officially began to ignore the two.

Jak slung his bag over his shoulder, grabbed Daxter's hand, and led the redhead out to the car.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

Daxter inhaled sharply as his naked arms and legs met a cool evening breeze for the first time in years, since that accident when some insect repellent had left him partially furless for almost an entire season. He also noticed that he wasn't wearing any shoes.

"Hey Jak," began the redhead "where'd you get these clothes, anyway?" He stopped, and Jak felt the tug on his arm.

"I borrowed them from Tess. We had to get out of there as quickly as possible, and she lent me her car." Smiling, he added "That was the manliest thing I could find."

Looking back, Jak noticed that Dax had stopped short just outside the power station. Dax was looking down at his feet. _Ah, I forgot that he doesn't have shoes. Well, it won't do for him to cut his feet on some glass. This place is too filthy to walk around barefoot._ Jak stooped down into the catcher's position and held his arms back toward his friend. "Hop on."

Dax barely hesitated at all. Climbing onto Jak for a free ride was all-too familiar to the former ottsel, and although the mounting process had changed a little bit, it was worth it to know he was still welcome. The redhead clambered onto the broad back laid before him and latched his arms in front of the hero's breastbone.

"Man, Jak—ya sure know how ta make a guy feel at home." Dax spoke to the back of his courier's neck.

At first, the redhead felt like he was a little too aware of his weight on Jak's shoulders, but it was easy to get used to. The initial tension slowly fell prey to a languid relaxation that was probably a result of the extreme exhaustion his new body had been suffering from coupled with the strong sense of security that always seemed to accompany Jak's scent. And although the redhead's new nose was far less sensitive than the one he'd gotten used to, Dax could still probably sniff his friend out in a crowded bar on a weekend.

No one knew Jak like he did.

_His_ Jak.

And it was such that the last thing he did before slipping back into the vast expanse that made up his unconscious was to squeeze Jak with every fiber in his being and then murmur the word "_mine_."

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**AN**: This was a bit shorter than I would have liked it to be, but I ended up with that sort of romantic thing there and I thought it was a good place to leave off.

**Outtakes**:

*Dax's Dream Jak make-out session in progress*  
**Vin**: Are you LISTENING to me? I said WAIT! Before you do anything you'll regret!  
*Dream Jak disappears*  
**Dax**: What the…? HEY! BRING HIM BACK!  
**Vin**: Aren't you even wondering why I'm here?  
**Dax**: *shrug* I've had stranger dreams.

-/-

**Dax**: Okay… So if what you're saying is true, then I can wake up whenever I want?  
**Vin**: Well, uh, pretty much—yeah.  
**Dax**: Dreeeeam Jak! Come out, come out _wherever_ you are!  
**Vin**: O.O…


	7. The Naughty Ottsel

**AN:** I finally got back to work on this! You can thank sillynekorobs for inspiring me back into action, even though I drag my feet horribly along the way. A few months ago, I updated all of the other chapters here so that they had all of the smut intact. It takes a while to update this for AFFnet, and I just didn't feel like it was too explicit for this site anymore. Go back and check it out of you've only ever read this fic here.

**Disclaimer: **Jak and Daxter are the property of Naughty Dog, Inc.

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Jak had fantasized about Dax in his human form, but what the racer hadn't really prepared for was the difference in weight. The green-blonde never thought about what it would be like to lug a full-sized Daxter halfway across Haven, regardless of the fact that a full-sized Daxter was, in truth, lighter than a half-sized Jak. Not that it really mattered. Dax would be back on his feet once they bought him some proper shoes, and it's not like the hero was running from enemy fire with his best friend snuggled up against his back.

Jak blushed.

That's right, the redhead's body felt soft and warm. He almost regretted having to plop Dax into the passenger seat. It had been years since Jak last found himself so physically close to another person—they hadn't been pressed together like that since they were kids.

_We're not in Sandover anymore_. Thought Jak—although he couldn't help but smile at the recollection.

In the name of letting the engine start up properly, the green-blonde relaxed a little in his seat. It wasn't long before his gaze drifted to the oh-so-cute dip in a certain redhead's back, and he allowed his mind to wander.

_Precursors, is he thin! Egh, I feel like I'm somehow responsible for that. Was he going hungry all the time? On one hand, it's like him to complain, but on the other, it's not… That idiot should know better than to stay quiet about something like that. He was probably counting on the fact that no one really knows what an average-sized ottsel looks like._

…_Come to think of it, have I ever *seen* another ottsel?_ He thought for a moment.

_No._ Jak resolved. As scientists, the precursors they'd seen weren't exactly a picture of good health. He started to get in gear. With one more look in his best friend's direction, the hero thought, _Can I risk a trip to the market so that he's got something to eat when he wakes up?_

It seemed reasonable enough, but he knew better. One look around reminded him that there were probably guys phoning Tess's plates to other guys in the surrounding area—waiting to jack the car the next time he parked.

_There's no way._ Jak thought.

_And now I have to park in the garage, so I'll have to walk a few blocks along the waterfront with this guy on my back._ The hero groaned. Not because Daxter was heavy, but because an anxious Jak is an irritable Jak, and he didn't want to break into a gunfight just because some Krimzon Guards were looking at him the wrong way.

Then he remembered. _Tess usually parks behind the Naughty Ottsel. Is that small garage still intact?_

He couldn't remember if it had survived the building's short stint as the Underground's temporary headquarters. _I'll check before I give her a call. I can just double back if it's blocked or something._

And with that, they were off.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

"Mrr..nn..mph…" Dax mumbled into the green-blonde's ear. Jak hoisted the redhead further up his back before reminding him to stay close.

"Hold on tight, okay Dax?" He blushed lightly. It was odd, but Jak felt more like a hero right now than ever before. Fighting out of necessity was nothing like this affectionate act of chivalry. If it were Torn, a simple kick out of the car door would have sufficed. Right now, regardless of gender, or even the status of their relationship, this person on his back was special.

Jak laughed to himself. In the end, he got lost and had to call Tess for directions. The back streets were always changing, it seemed. Gang members threw a lot of obstacles up to throw off the guards when they needed to escape into the shadows. Everything looked different. Fortunately, Tess remained well-informed, and she forwarded the route on a map marked with notes here and there. It appeared that Jak's communicator now doubled as a GPS.

Computers are computers, as Dax would say. Most handheld devices had a myriad of uses, regardless of their main functions. Neither of the boys had seen anything like it prior to their arrival in Haven all those years ago. Maybe a radio on one of Keira's motorcycles, but nothing this sophisticated. It was with this convenient future technology that Jak begrudgingly accepted Tess's terms for their deal (which included the borrowing of a certain car, as well as the information)—a photo of Dax.

So he snapped one. He wondered if the redhead would appreciate just how adorable he looked, curled up in the seat of the car. Tess certainly did. The racer toyed with the idea of using that image as his menu screen's background, but quickly tossed it aside, as he regularly left phone calls up to Dax and preferred not to get on the little loudmouth's bad side. Still, he had no plans to delete it.

Daxter wiggled around a bit before settling into the hero's broad back. Jak could feel a few drops of saliva streaming down his neck, but he didn't really care. _Better than ottsel drool, that's for sure._

With a few shakes of a half-broken lock (it always stuck), they were in. The racer wanted so badly to just plop his bag on the ground and run up to the bedroom, but it was important to keep his weapons accessible at all times; still, Jak didn't know when he'd ever find himself back between his best friend's wide open legs. He laughed darkly.

As if he'd ever risk doing something that might drive this person away. Jak wanted to plop Dax on the counter and kiss him senseless. He imagined the redhead's legs tightening around his hips as he raked his fingers across that delicate, untouched body of his. It didn't matter that the green-blonde was a virgin, he knew he could make that kid quiver from the pleasure of it all.

_Kid, huh?_ He thought dryly. He and Dax were virtually the same age—Jak never forgot that. Still, people had always and most likely will continue to see them very differently. To others, Jak appeared to be the older, more experienced of the two. No one could really fathom that Daxter was anything other than a virgin—which was true—but they would find it similarly difficult to believe that Jak was the inexperienced young man that he was.

Women had openly offered themselves to him before, but the green-blonde had always made an excuse and stuck close to his friends. People probably assumed he was dating Keira or Ashelin, which was fine, because those two assumed he just slept with strangers all the time. Only Dax really knew the truth. Well, Dax and Sig—nothing really got past that guy (besides, as one of the only eligible bachelors around, he talked to a lot of the women Jak had dismissed).

The hero sighed audibly. Six steps down, five more to go. He had to walk slowly and carefully since they still needed to replace the railing. Leaning on it was more dangerous than hopping around the stairwell on one foot with a dark eco bomb strapped to your chest. Well, maybe not _more_ dangerous, but you get the idea. It wouldn't do for Jak to make it three quarters of the way up, only to rest on the loose and rotting bar to his left and wind up back on the bottom floor with nothing but a fragile redhead to cushion his fall. Especially not when the well-being of said redhead was and had always been the more prevalent in Jak's mind (his own livelihood was inconsequential by comparison).

"We're almost there, Dax." Jak spoke into his shoulder.

When he lowered his watch back to the room before them, he noticed that Tess must have made the bed. _That's right, she sleeps here sometimes when the bar closes late._

He briefly reminded himself to clean out one of the other bedrooms that they had been using for storage, in case Dax made this his permanent home. The thought of those two sharing a bed _now_ was a little more than disconcerting.

"Here we go." With one sweeping motion, the racer threw back the top corner of the blanket, twisted around so that he faced away from the bed, and attempted to deposit his best friend onto the mattress below. To some degree, it was successful, but in his reluctance to release his hold on the strong shoulders that had recently become his home, Daxter had forced Jak to come along for the ride. The green-blonde was startled by the impact, but that was nothing compared to the tension that coursed through him once he turned to find himself snugly trapped between the skinny devil's legs.

"D! D-D-DAX! I—" His eyes darted around the room, searching for something to aid him in getting out of this compromising position.

The redhead snaked his arms up over his friend's chest, noting the way his breath seemed to hitch in nervous anticipation, and he locked his hands together where they met at the apex of Jak's neck. Then he smirked.

"Think ya can out-wrestle me now that I'm me again?" Orange Lightning drove his weight to the right, toppling the unsuspecting racer and mounting him easily. Jak just stared wide-eyed toward the ceiling as Dax pressed his shoulders into the bed.

_That'll show him._ The redhead thought. He wasn't entirely unaware of the precariousness of his position, but the former ottsel was sure that he could put on a convincing show of innocent rough-housing. It was worth it just to see the look on Jak's face.

Dax was happy. He wriggled a bit in Jak's lap, mostly trying to get comfortable, but also trying to discern just what parts of the racer's body were at the receiving end of all this attention. _I probably can't risk getting him up without it bein' all kinds'a awkward. It might be smarter ta just attack him in a closed space, like in a car or somethin'._

For a split second, Daxter's sleepiness betrayed him—he leaned back and let out a half-yawn before covering it with a dive into Jak's chest. He immediately grasped the larger man's sides, squeezing, kneading, grabbing, pulling—and otherwise doing anything he could to make Jak giggle and shriek like an overgrown puppy. In his effort to prolong their play, Daxter unintentionally began to accomplish his *_real*_ goal. As unintentional as it was, in the throes of tickle passion, the racer had been forced to surrender every shred of his remaining self-control, effectively leaving him to thrust upward in reckless abandon as Daxter assaulted his senses.

There was no question now. That thing Dax was trying to find? It was hard. It was pressed against its wholeheartedly embarrassed owner's stomach, and said owner's favorite redhead was centered dead smack in the middle of it all.

Jak looked like his eyes were about to bug out of his head. Then he closed them (in a failed attempt to mask his shock), but the way he clenched them shut only served to confirm the little monster's suspicions. _It turned him on! I'm practically *riding* Jak!_

But the hero could only take so much. Instead of launching another tickle attack, Dax slunk backward so that he could lean against Jak's legs, and surveyed his work. He was also pretty aroused, but he'd need to rearrange himself to really have any fun, and Dax doubted he could pull that off covertly. He simply opted to compromise: _At least I'll get ta tease Jak a bit._

Just when the frightened racer had begun to breathe, Dax dipped down to slide against his chest. The former-ottsel ran his palms along his friend's underside, grabbed hold of the man's shoulders, and used it as an anchor that allowed him to drive his body into Jak's with some added force. To Jak, this seemed like nothing more than some super-aggressive cuddling, which was probably only occurring because Daxter had recently entered a state of extreme exhaustion that had left him pretty disoriented.

But he should have known better. As Daxter's face navigated that sculpted chest on the disappearing road to Jak's shoulder, the redhead's crotch had regained contact with the green-blonde hero's lap. He himself almost moaned from how agonizingly torturous it was to grind forward at such a slow and steady pace, knowing he'd stop once he reached the tip of Jak's arousal—when he would most likely be removed and put to bed. Jak probably didn't realize, but he had gasped once or twice along the way, and when Daxter finally _did_ finish teasing the poor guy, he gave him a tight squeeze, sincerely lamenting his need to rest and therefore separate from the person he loved most.

Jak—despite how uncomfortable and worried he'd become—took that for what it was and reciprocated wholeheartedly. It didn't matter that he harbored intense gay feelings for Daxter. A hug can say a lot. He imagined that if Daxter hid his fears as well as his apparent hunger for all this time, the redhead may have still been pretty shaken by the day's events. Jak held the smaller man, and the two of them just laid there for a while. The hero ran his fingers across wild red hair, and pressed circles into the smaller man's back until no one was aroused anymore, and under the influence of Jak's silent lullaby, Dax finally succumbed to sleep.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

An hour passed by, and Daxter began to stir. The racer wriggled out of his friend's arms. His body protested, but Daxter was clearly exhausted. The redhead could barely keep his eyes open.

The green-blonde took up a small stool beside the bed. Tess was using it as a bedside table—or _did_, before the boys stayed over one night and Dax destroyed her alarm clock. They didn't have snooze buttons where he came from, and the ottsel was stronger than he looked. Jak studied the broken appliance for a while. He'd have to buy her new one.

Some time passed and the redhead drifted back to sleep. The hero sat beside his bed for a while, watching the smaller man breathe. Listening. _He's so small…_

Not that he'd ever admit that to Daxter. Still, as much as he'd grown, Daxter seemed smaller than ever. Harder to keep an eye on. Harder to protect. Jak would have to come up with something sooner rather than later. New clothes—perhaps something with armor, if only an eco-proof lining. Not that anything was ever _really_ eco-proof. It did make a difference. Peace of mind. Jak would pay anything for a little of that right now.

Just a few weeks ago, Jak was seriously considering taking up the throne in Spargus City. Bring some order to the place—insomuch that that was possible. For a city populated entirely by hardened criminals, it was surprisingly safe. A veritable fortress. Plus, the culture there was based on respect and shows of strength. After what they'd done, no one would challenge him. Of course, now that his friend was human again? Out of the question.

Jak could protect an ottsel, but a grown man? He doubted that he and the redhead would always be attached at the hip—he couldn't follow Daxter _everywhere_. The man deserved his own life, his freedom. Jak couldn't keep him close under the guise of protection anymore. Granted, Dax had been on his own before—when Jak was in that KG prison—but now that the redhead was, well, a redhead again, he couldn't just sneak off and hide out of reach.

_Where can we go?_ Jak wondered. He was technically royalty, not that anyone really recognized it. He wanted to live his own way, by his own means. They'd always made their own rules. Besides, life at the palace in Haven City would be as good as painting a big red target on Daxter's chest. As tiny as Dax was, you could hardly call him inconspicuous. No one had ever really _seen_ Jak without that shock of bright orange flittering around him. And everyone had heard Orange Lightning run his mouth at least half a dozen times—Daxter's voice hadn't exactly _changed_.

It would become obvious. Well, perhaps not _obvious_, but even if people _didn't_ draw a connection between the ottsel and the redhead, they'd always have their eyes on Jak. Haven's power hungry men and women kept note of the green-blonde hero, and of his entourage. Up to this point, there hadn't been a weak link among the people he'd kept close. Perhaps Vin would have made a decent target, but he was off the grid. Daxter was another story.

No one messed with Jak because they'd seen what he can do. No one messed with Torn or Ashelin because they were powerful leaders. As hot girls, Tess and Keira had a lot of people just waiting to help—and neither of them really even needed any. Everyone Jak knew had these layers of personal defense, except Dax. _He_ had always been Daxter's protector. Dax watched his back, of course—he was extremely useful—but the life of a _human_ rogue would never be as long-lived. The scales were no longer tipped in his favor.

Situations would be harder to get out of from this point forward. It was a sad irony that the one who was probably the safest among them before had, in gaining his strength, become the most vulnerable.

_I wish we could go back to Sandover for a while._ Jak missed his home. He could buy some land and build them a house. They could stay at his uncle's until it was finished.

Dax had curled up on his side. _He looks so cute like this_. Jak mused.

The redhead was smiling in his sleep, and Jak wondered how much he'd smile if he woke up to a bowl full of melon on a blanket in the sand on Sentinel Beach. All fantasy, of course—they couldn't go back. _In my dreams_. Jak sighed.

It was hard not to worry, but Dax had to be a part of this decision, too. It would ultimately come down to whatever the fiery redhead wanted to do. As scary as the thought was, Jak would stand by his friend if the former ottsel wanted to stay in Haven. Dax enjoyed the nightlife, the bars. He'd probably want to try his luck with all those women now that he finally felt he had a shot.

Or Tess. _He did say he was over her, but… I could see all that changing after this. He mentioned someone else, too… Keira? Rayne? At least he's got good taste…_ Jak sighed.

Tess. He would have to remember to thank her when all was said and done. She really saved their asses back there. Immediately after the crash, the hero was in no mindset to think of things like hiding Dax from the media. And the clothes. The car. His gun, heh. Tess really did care for them. _It wouldn't be so bad if they got together. I mean, mind-numbing jealousy and a good chance that I might actually CRY, aside—he could do worse._ Jak slumped forward on his stool.

He had to face up to his feelings. _This is the chance I've been waiting for…_ Jak sighed.

That didn't make things any easier. _Why does he still seem so out of reach?_ Jak wondered. He didn't really have to ask. _Two men… Not unheard of, but not common, either. And the way Dax looks at women…_

Even on the off chance that Dax _could_ return his feelings, it would be an added level of danger for the redhead. One more vulnerability. Jak could stare down anyone who even so much as looked at them funny, but when Dax was out and alone… Plus, he'd heard stories. What men were capable of when they worked themselves up into a homophobic rage… He'd be in constant danger of hate-based assault, and rape—for what little sense that made.

An image of Razor flashed in Jak's mind and he clenched his fists. If any man so much as _touched_ his man in a way he didn't like… Jak closed his eyes. He wasn't sure when he first started thinking of Daxter as being _his_, but he'd long since grown used to the idea. He couldn't stand the thought of Daxter being raped, or even harassed. There were some situations that the little redhead couldn't talk his way out of.

He knew he needed to stop thinking this way, but it strengthened the hero's resolve. No one would lay a finger on Dax. He'd be there. Jak would _always_ be there. Even if that meant hiding his feelings forever. He'd do everything in his power to keep from driving his friend away. To keep him safe.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

_Where did I park the car?_ Jak scanned both sides of the street before he recalled. A smile threatened to tug at his lips as he backtracked through the Naughty Ottsel, locking up as he made his way toward the back exit. Silently cursing the metal keys for the way they clanked against one another, the hero all but tiptoed across the room. He wanted to avoid waking Dax if possible.

At least he could count on the engine starting quiet. Tess's rental car was better suited for an old woman's trip to the grocery than for street racing, which was all too appropriate for what he had in mind.

A perfect breakfast for his best friend's first day as a fully grown human male. _What should I get?_ Jak wondered.

_Pancakes, waffles, French toast… _Jak tried to run the recipes through his head. Not that he'd make everything—the meal should have _some _semblance of balance to it. _Eggs._ Thought the hero. _No matter what I do, we're going to need a lot of eggs._

_And butter. Not exactly healthy, but Dax can afford to gain a few pounds._ Jak formed a mental list—he was halfway to the market by the time he'd finished.

_Butter, bread, eggs, sausage, bacon, flour, syrup, orange juice, blueberries, strawberries, coffee, sugar, milk, cream… _Enough of what they needed was available back at the bar, but he didn't want to jack up Tess's inventory on top of everything else. Jak was starting to wish he'd brought something to write on. Still, it wasn't that difficult to remember. _I could get used to this._ Jak mused. However unfamiliar, grocery shopping was way easier than his normal day to day activities—he wondered why housewives always complained.

Jak had learned to cook for them over the years. Of course, they'd spent most of them dirt poor (or at least spending most of what they _had_ on weapons and gear), and with Daxter as small as he was, coffee had always been the largest expense. Still. He'd make breakfast for them often. Pancakes? Easy. Waffles? Some equipment required—they'd probably skip that for today. French toast? Easiest thing in the world. Eggs fried, scrambled, poached, or made into an omelette—all things he'd done before. And of course, his secret weapon—_fresh whipped cream_. Daxter's favorite.

Jak found himself rounding the corner toward the market district before he'd even settled on where to go. _Gotta do the butcher's last. Fruit… Open air market. Juice? Probably just make some with the fruit. Uh, baking stuff…? I think there's a grocery nearby. Probably has a dairy section, too._ He'd probably feel embarrassed if he wasn't so giddy. _How_ long had they been living in Haven? He hadn't considered just how much of their shopping had been done by Tess over the years.

_Tess…_ _Dax used to love shopping with her—heh. If he'd been with me, I wouldn't have had to think at all. He probably knows which places have the best food at the best prices thanks to her. And she's probably the only person I've ever trusted to stay with him without me around. _Jak had always wondered if it was Tess or the food that made Dax love shopping as much as he did. _Probably both_. He thought.

Tess insisted that she _needed_ Daxter there to ward off all the creepy men who would otherwise come onto her way too strongly. With Orange Lightning around, their passes never amounted to more than a generous discount. No one would ever guess that the food was for Dax or some smelly bar patrons—they thought they were currying favor with a beautiful woman. If he was there, he could pick out everything he wanted himself—so all things considered, bringing Daxter along had really worked out in their favor.

_Not that that'll work NOW._ Thought Jak.

A few blocks later, and he was pulling up to the market district. He parked between two buildings about half a block away, since most of the stalls and their customers spilled over onto the street.

The market was an oasis of life surrounded by abandoned buildings on all sides. Some people might have still crashed in them, but it was nowhere to raise a family. _Heh, family._ Jak wondered idly. It was ironic that in all the time he spent protecting this city so that these people could go on with their lives, _he_ was never going to live one. The life of the hero left little time for love. _Prescursors' know I'm never gonna be a dad_—_and a lover? _ _The object of my affection isn't exactly within reach..._ Jak sighed. _Right. Breakfast._

A diner prefaced the other shops, and it was hard to ignore its call. _Stay focused_. He thought, stomach rumbling. The farm-fresh dairy caught his eye. He made sure to grab three dozen eggs, butter, some cream, and a jug of milk. In the grocery it was pancake mix, tree syrup, pasta, and orange juice that caught his eye. He also got a small bag of rock candies for Daxter to snack on later. The bakery down the street had gorgeous looking bread on the cheap, so Jak grabbed two loaves. He also got two pounds of freshly roasted coffee beans.

The butcher's and the produce stand were right next to each other, and the butcher had a rare lull in business where the line was short. Jak swooped in and ordered a pound of bacon, plus some hot sausages he'd use for dinner.

The last thing was produce. Onions, tomatoes, spinach, and peppers would do. Two apples, five oranges, and two bunches of bananas for the fruit. He also got some berries, even though they were expensive. _That should do it._ Jak mused. The knapsack was full, with the bread sticking out of the top so that it couldn't draw shut. He started to head back to the car.

His mind wandered. He kept thinking about how cute Dax was, now that he was sure the younger man wasn't in danger. He tried to think back to Sandover. _Was his skin always that... milky? And he's so thin... Throw a dress and a hair band on him and he'd pass for a girl. Not that I'm particularly attracted to girls, just..._ A noise pulled him out of his thoughts.

A flash of color caught his eye. Someone was hiding behind the corner of a nearby building. _Really? The middle of the market in broad daylight? Can't a man buy something to eat?_ Jak sighed. He was reaching for his blaster when his stalker came into view. _Oh_. He relaxed. _It's just a girl_.

She flashed him a shy smile that was all eyes. She looked like one of the assistants from the dairy. He smiled meekly and stared blankly ahead, making his way toward the car. The girl grabbed his arm.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" His fake smile spoke volumes.

"You're Jak Mar, aren't you?" She squeaked. She couldn't have been much older than fifteen. "The magazines all say that you're Haven's most eligible bachelor."

Jak mentally face palmed and closed his eyes with a groan. "Look, you're too young for me, and I already have someone I like. Get out of here before your father tries to incinerate me." The green-blonde turned and didn't look back. He thought he could hear her sobbing in the distance.

_A little harsh, don't you think?_ Jak chastised himself. _I'm sick of women always chasing me. They used to leave me alone because they thought Keira would murder them or something, but I guess they realized we're not involved..._

He got into the car and started to head back. _If Dax were here, he'd do all the talking and they'd never get a word in edgewise. _His mind blanked. He let that sink in for a moment. _He's *really* interested in girls... The way he acts around them—it's an entirely different level of excitement. Agh..._ He agonized.

_If he ever finds out, he's going to kill me._

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

Back at the Naughty Ottsel, Jak parked and made his way in with the bag of groceries. To his surprise, Daxter was up and in the kitchen.

"Hey, Jak!" He smiled. The hero's heart melted. "I'm makin' breakfast."

"Uh... I don't think you can call pickles and chocolate milk 'breakfast'—what are you, a pregnant woman?" The hero laughed. "Look, why don't you jump into the shower and I'll take over from here?" He lifted the knapsack.

Dax crunched into his pickle and nodded. "Alright, but I'm gonna finish this chocolate milk first. I see the way you're lookin' at it! And we don't have enough to make more." He gestured toward the empty jug.

"Good news, then." Jak smiled. "I've got a new one right here." He preheated the oven and started unloading all of the goodies he'd gotten onto the counter. He arranged most of the fruit in a wicker bowl Tess had left out.

Dax chugged the rest of his milk and slammed the tankard down on the counter. Jak was already busy slicing the onion and pepper. "I'll hit the showers. You be a good little girl and make Daddy something to eat." Jak couldn't help but stare as Dax walked off toward the hallway. _That ass..._

He grabbed a skillet, which, thank the Precursors, was clean, and set it to high with a chunk of butter melting. _I already have someone I like_. He mused. He added a little vinegar to a cup of milk and set it aside.

He dumped the onions, peppers, and a handful of spinach leaves in the skillet and then got to work on cracking some eggs. _I already have someone I like, and he's freakin' adorable_.

Humming to himself, he beat the half dozen eggs and whisked in some milk. What started out as a frittata was turning out to be more of an omelette. He added the eggs to the pan. Next came the tomatoes. They needed the least time to cook and could more or less still be raw. He added them to the eggs, shook the pan, and folded the omelette. _I already have someone I like, and he's got the most amazing ass_...

Jak pulled down another skillet and set the stove to a medium-high heat. He measured out the pancake mix and added his sour milk, an egg, and the berries—plus a small handful of sugar for good measure. _...and the bluest eyes._

He plated the omelette and repurposed that skillet for pancakes. He spooned some batter into each skillet, cooking them two at a time. He figured they'd have five total, which should be enough for the two of them. He separated each pancake with a pat of butter, and stacked them on a plate in the oven to keep warm. Not a moment too soon, apparently, because he heard Dax calling from upstairs.

"Jaaaaak! Come up and get me a towel! I'm drippin' all over the floor up here!" Jak ran upstairs and looked in the linen closet. He grabbed the softest one he could find, and walked into the bathroom without even thinking.

And there he was. Naked as the day he was born. Dripping wet. Jak stared.

"Finally!" Dax woke him from his thoughts, grabbing the towel out of his hands. He went to town drying his red hair, and Jak couldn't unglue his eyes from his friend's body. He wished he could kneel down, grab his ass, and go to town on his cock. He'd never blown anyone before, but the thought of it was making him hard. He turned sharply, his face red.

"I'll meet you downstairs in a few. Just throw on some shorts and one of my t-shirts. We'll get you something to wear after breakfast." Jak bolted.

_I already have someone I like, and I *really* need to get it under control._ He threw some bacon on the skillet and channeled his energy into making whipped cream.


End file.
